Killing Season
by MyImmortal329
Summary: To the unknowing eye, the Peletiers have the perfect life. Perfect house, perfect marriage, perfect child. Even the perfect dog. But when a new neighbor moves in, threatening to break the facade Ed Peletier has built up, will Carol finally be able to free herself from the lie she's been living, and will she be able to accept the past she desperately wants to forget?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Walking Dead.

Killing Season

Chapter 1

"Kirby, no!" Sophia giggled, as the German Shepherd puppy licked at her bare toes. "That tickles! Stop!" She laughed, jumping back and slamming into the fence. She yelped in pain, and Kirby whined, yipping as he sat at her side. "I'm ok, Kirby. Ouch." She sucked in a sharp breath, holding her elbow in her hand, moving it to find blood staining her palm. Kirby cocked his head to the side, and Sophia reached out to pat his head. "It's ok. Just a scratch." She stood then, brushing the dirt off of the back of her pants.

The slap of low, burdened tires against the paved drive of the house next door distracted the girl from her pain, and she moved to lean over the fence, watching as a big moving fan backed up in front of the garage. She looked over her shoulder, back toward the house, biting her lip anxiously. Kirby whined and nudged her hand, warning her that she'd best get inside and get her scratch looked at, but she ignored him. She watched the stranger hop out of the cab of the van and wipe his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand.

He looked tired, like he'd been traveling a while, and he definitely didn't look like the kind of guy that would live in a neighborhood like this with picket fences and neighborhood watch programs. He looked like the men that hung out outside the bar downtown, dressed in dark pants and a leather vest. She cocked her head to the side, thinking she'd never seen a leather vest with a pair of white angel wings on it before.

"Hey kid," he said with a nod in her direction.

"Hi," she said softly. "You moving in?"

"Looks like it," he said gruffly, pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. He lit one up and put the rest away. Sophia crinkled her nose.

"That's bad for you."

"Yeah. So they say," he said with a shrug. "You got a name, kid?"

"Sophia Peletier," she said, wincing slightly, every word her parents had ever told her about talking to strangers going right out the window. She pulled her hand away from her elbow again. The man looked down at it, and he frowned.

"Best get that patched up. Looks deep."

"It's not," she shrugged.

"You're tough, huh?"

"Gotta be," she said with a little shrug, patting Kirby atop the head. "See ya."

"See ya," he said, squinting into the sunlight as the cigarette hung off his lips. Sophia gave him a little wave and turned back toward the house, hurrying up to the front door and letting herself and Kirby inside.

She walked quietly down the hallway, following the scent of apple pie baking in the oven.

"Mama?" she asked softly, voice just above a whisper. Carol turned from the counter she'd been wiping down, and she stared down at her daughter, gaze catching the tinge of red on her daughter's elbow, sending her right into panic mode.

"What happened?" she asked quickly, kneeling in front of her little girl to examine the wound. She narrowed her eyes, turning Sophia's arm a little to assess the damage.

"I fell playing with Kirby," Sophia announced with a shrug. Carol sighed and shook her head.

"You _have_ to be more careful." Carol took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. "Please, be more careful."

"Mama, I'm sorry," Sophia sniffled. "It's just a scratch. I don't need stitches. I promise. Don't tell Daddy, please."

"I won't," Carol promised, pulling her little girl into a hug. "I won't. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up, ok?" Sophia nodded, and Carol motioned for her to hop up onto one of the barstools. Sophia did so silently, and Carol grabbed the first aid kit out front under the counter. She worked slowly and carefully, cleaning the cut with peroxide and applying some antibiotic ointment to it. She applied a bandage and gave Sophia a pat on the leg. "All better?"

"All better." Sophia pointed to the hole in her shirt. "Except for that."

"I'll patch it. You go upstairs and change. Your father will be home soon."

"Promise you won't tell him?"

"Honey, I promise. And your daddy wouldn't hurt you." Sophia opened her mouth to speak but instead said nothing. Carol gave her a quick hug and sent her on her way. Before she left the kitchen, Sophia turned around.

"We have a new neighbor. He's really nice. He has angel wings."

"Angel wings?" Carol asked, turning around to see that her daughter was already gone. She smiled a little, shaking her head, chalking it up to her nine-year-old's active imagination. But when she heard the clanging of metal outside, she moved to the window to see a big, blue moving fan parked in the driveway of the, until today, empty house next door.

She wiped her hands on the dishtowel and checked on the apple pie in the oven. Turning the heat down low, she started down the hall toward the front door, where Kirby was waiting, wagging his tail.

"You were just outside, young man," Carol said with a raised eyebrow. She headed outside, crossing the yard toward the fence, keeping an eye on the moving van as she poked around the yard, picking up Sophia's toys so Ed wouldn't have a fit when he got home. She rubbed her shoulder. It still ached from the last time Ed came home and threw a fit. She winced a little, fumbling with a rubber kick ball before it bounced out of her grasp and over the fence, rolling out of sight. "Shit."

She dropped her armload in a close by lawn chair and started toward the fence.

"Lookin' for this?" She looked up just in time to see Daryl step out from behind some tall hedges with the purple ball in his hand.

"Thank you. Sorry. It's my daughter's. Just kind of got away from me." She cleared her throat, looking briefly at his face, forehead beaded with sweat, hair falling into his unmistakably clear blue eyes. She felt her cheeks tingle at the sight of him looking at her, at the way his gaze moved from her face to the swell of her breasts. She glanced down briefly, noticing that she'd unbuttoned her shirt down to the top of her bra when she'd worked up a sweat in the kitchen.

She wanted to cover herself up, shield herself, because she knew that if Ed got wind of any man making eyes at her, she'd be in for a world of pain.

"She ok?"

"What?" Carol asked, quickly taking the ball that he extended over the fence.

"Your girl. Saw she got hurt."

"Oh. It's nothing. Just a scratch. She's fine. Thanks for your concern." She cleared her throat and started to turn around.

"You Mrs. Peletier?" Carol turned around again.

"Yes," she said slowly. "How do you know my name?"

"Your girl? Sophia Peletier? Just assumed you'd be the Mrs. Don't be too hard on the kid. She was just bein' neighborly. She probably ain't s'posed to even talk to strangers." He cleared his throat.

"Ok," Carol said quietly.

"M'Daryl. Daryl Dixon."

"Carol. Peletier," she said with a nod. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Dixon. I, um, I have to go. Ed will be home soon. My husband." He raised his hand over his eyes, shielding them from the sun, and she couldn't help but notice the calloused fingertips or how well defined his muscles were.

Her throat felt thick, and she swallowed hard, flinching as she tried to get her thoughts under control.

"You can call me Daryl," he offered. She smiled tightly as a car pulled into her drive.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Dixon." She walked away quickly, gathering Sophia's toys out of the yard and hurrying up to the house to greet her husband.

"You too, Mrs. Peletier," he muttered, turning back to the moving van to begin unloading his things.

Carol made it to the door first, and Ed was right behind her, opening it up for her, since she had an armload of toys. Carol felt the cold chill of dread ghost up her spine as she stepped into the house. Kirby caught Ed's scent and scrambled down the hall and up the stairs.

"Who's the new neighbor?" Ed asked, pulling off his suit jacket and folding it over his arm.

"Didn't catch his name," Carol said evenly, pleasantly, as she deposited Sophia's outside toys into the mudroom where they belonged.

"You didn't, huh?" he asked, brushing past her into the small space to hang his suit jacket on a peg. He leaned over her to do this, cornering her against an old wash sink that wasn't even hooked up to plumbing.

"Sophia's ball rolled into his yard, and he was kind enough to get it for me." She flinched when she saw him considering her words. She could tell him anything and he'd find a reason not to believe her.

"Thought you were gonna talk to her about leavin' her toys layin' around."

"I will. I'm sorry. I got so busy today, and I just…"

"Busy doing what? Sitting on your ass watching television? Gawking at the new neighbor? You go over there flaunt your tits for him to see, huh?" He grabbed her shirt roughly, and Carol silently cursed herself for forgetting to button up. "Goddamned whore!" He ripped her shirt then, and the buttons went flying.

"Ed, stop!" she pleaded, as he backed off, leaving her standing there in her bra, the tatters of her shirt hanging loosely on her shoulders. "It was hot, and I forgot…"

"You forgot? Same excuse all the goddamned time!" He backhanded her, sending her falling back against the sink, hitting her side hard against the porcelain sink. She cried out, gasping for breath, wondering for a moment if she hadn't broken a rib.

"Ed, stop!"

"You're my wife. You think walking around outside like a cheap floozy makes me look good? You wanna embarrass me, is that it? Wanna make me look like a fool?" He knelt down then, putting his hand around her throat. "New neighbor don't know what he ain't never gonna have, does he? Hmm? This sweet little ass is all mine. You got that?"

"Ed," she gasped, choking as his fingers pressed around her neck.

"It's mine. Ain't never gonna be nobody else's. You got that?" She nodded then, tears threatening to fall. But she knew if she cried, she'd only get it ten times worse. "You were nothin' before me, darlin'. Nothing. You just remember that next time you go visit your new friend. You were nothin' and nobody wanted you. Nothing but a worthless whore who got in trouble and had to be saved. Who saved you, baby?" Carol looked away, and he grabbed her roughly by the chin. "Who saved you?"

"You did," she choked out. A wide grin spread over his face, and she shivered.

"And ain't nobody ever gonna take care of you the way I do. You understand me?" She nodded, choking back the urge to fight back.

He let go of her then.

"Good. Supper almost ready?" She swallowed hard, looking up at him angrily for a moment before she got her emotions in check.

"Almost. P-pie's in the o-oven." Ed left her then, and Carol collapsed against the wall, pulling her arms around her knees, hugging them to her chest as she fought the tears back. She began to shake, and she wanted, with every fiber of her being, to follow him, pick up a butcher knife and drag it across his neck until his blood covered the floor. She hated him. Hated him with everything inside of her.

She took a few shaky breaths, a desperate attempt to calm herself down, and then she remembered why she put herself through it all. The only thing that mattered.

 _You do it for her. She matters. Do it for her_.

...

 _"Carol, you ok in there, doll?" Andrea asked, slipping through the beaded curtain and into the not-so-private bathroom. The door got knocked down by a John six months ago, and the worthless landlord hadn't bothered to put a new one up yet._

 _Carol was shaking, fingers gripping the toilet bowl. She shook her head._

 _"I'm not ok," she sniffled, placing her hand on the barely-there swell of her stomach. She reached up, pressing the rusted toilet knob. She shut the lid at the flush and moved to sit on the edge of the rust-stained bathtub. "I'm not ok at all."_

 _"Honey, it's not too late. You're what, nine, ten weeks? I can take you to the clinic. You'll be in and out, and you won't have to…"_

 _"No!" Carol cried, wiping at her eyes. "I can't. I won't."_

 _"This isn't a life for a baby, honey," Andrea whispered, taking Carol's hands in hers as she knelt down next to her by the tub. "Look at me."_

 _"I'm getting out," Carol murmured. "I'm going to get us out." She wiped at her eyes and shook her head. Andrea sighed and gave her a patronizingly sad smile._

 _"Yeah. I was too. Two years ago."_

 _"I am. I got myself into this mess. I can get myself out," Carol insisted. She stood then, moving to turn on the water faucet at the sink. She sniffled and cupped her hands under the stream, leaning down to splash her face with cold water._

 _"You're new to this. I get it," Andrea said softly. "I feel responsible for it."_

 _"It's not your fault," Carol muttered. "That's the hand that was dealt. I made a choice. It's nobody's fault but my own." She took a deep, shaking breath and wiped her face with a hand towel. Andrea watched her for a moment and shook her head._

 _"Honey, you can't go out like that. Men aren't going to want to…well, I guess there are a few who get off on that kind of thing. You have to be careful. For the baby."_

 _"I'm not going out with a John," Carol insisted. "Well, not like that. He's taking me on a real date. To a restaurant and everything."_

 _"Before he takes you home and fucks you and leaves the money on the nightstand?" Andrea asked with a roll of her eyes._

 _"It's not going to be like that. He wants to see me. He's getting me out of this, Andrea. I can feel it."_

 _"So who's Mr. Knight in Shining Armor?" Andrea asked, grabbing a brush off of the sink and running it through the back of Carol's long, brown hair._

 _"Ed Peletier," Carol said with a smile. "His name is Ed, and he said I'm beautiful."_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Daryl hadn't been too sure how he'd feel about living in the suburbs. He honestly had never expected to live in a place as nice as this. He'd grown up in Shady Acres Trailer Park with a worthless drunk of a daddy and a pill-popping mama, and he'd gotten the hell out of there the second he graduated high school, working odd jobs in Atlanta to pay the rent. Now, here he was, just on the cusp of thirty, and he was a homeowner. Never in a million years had he ever thought he'd have the kind of cash to buy a place and call it his own.

The screen door squeaked on its hinges as he stepped out to have a cigarette and scope out the neighborhood. The air smelled of honeysuckle and sweet corn, and the breeze was cool. He made his way across the porch to the swing painted lovingly by the previous owners. He sat down, flicking his ashes and glancing over at the Peletier home.

A light was on in one of the upstairs windows, but the rest of the house was dark. He couldn't stop thinking about her, about those piercing blue eyes that were so deep that he knew there were just a thousand stories hidden behind them. Her short-cropped brown hair had been a little messy, with a few little wisps stuck to her forehead, slick with sweat. She hadn't really smiled, but she had the kind of face that told him that if she did smile, she'd light up a thousand rooms.

 _Christ, she's married, you idiot. Gotta get your head on straight._ He ran his fingers through his hair and then ran his hand down his scruffy chin. Time for a shave.

He hadn't moved here for love. He hadn't moved here for anything other than work. If it hadn't been for the money, he'd probably still be sitting his ass in that dingy apartment in downtown Atlanta with a broken air conditioner and the choking smell of pot seeping through the vents. No, he'd saved money up on his own, putting every tip he'd ever gotten bussing tables or bartending back, and over the years, it had added up. And now, now he had a good job, a good chunk of change in the bank and he had a nice house. He still felt like his was visiting a wealthy relative. It didn't quite feel like home. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to being comfortable, having some money in his pocket. But he was grateful for it all.

He looked back up at the window to see that it was dark now. The Peletier family was down for the night. He still thought of her, thought of the creamy skin of her neck, the freckles splashed along her collarbones and down her chest, the lacy top of her white bra.

"Christ," he grumbled, shaking his head. He took one last drag off of the cigarette before putting it out on the porch. With one last glance back at the Peletier house, he made his way inside and shut the door, hoping to get her off of his mind before he fell asleep.

...

 _"How old are ya, honey?" Ed asked, running his thumb over the top of her hand as they sat waiting for their food to arrive. Carol wondered why he was asking now and not the three previous times he'd paid her for her company._

 _"Almost twenty-one," she said softly._

 _"I haven't seen you around much. You from around here?"_

 _"I am," she said with a little nod. "I lived with my mother after high school. She got sick. Cancer. Taking care of her was a full time job, and we lived off of the check she got every month. And when she died, I had enough money to stay afloat for a couple of months, but I couldn't find work, and I met Andrea." She shook her head. "We went to school together, and she was beautiful and popular, and when I saw what had happened to her, I just…" She swallowed hard and looked away. "And I stayed with her for a while, and then it just…I made a choice. It was the worst choice I've ever made."_

 _"You regret it, then?"_

 _"I regret it every day." She moved to place her hand on her stomach. "This baby didn't ask for any of this."_

 _"No," he said, shaking his head. "When I saw you, I saw somethin' special. You're beautiful, Carol."_

 _"I'm sure you say that to all the girls," she said, blushing as she looked away._

 _"I'm serious. Now, I ain't the kinda man who goes lookin' for women every night. I just got out of a relationship, and the night I met you, well, you were the first woman I ever…you know, paid." Carol listened closely as he talked, saw the sadness in his eyes as he told her about his ex and how badly she'd treated him, how he'd wanted to marry her, and she'd broken his heart. "Now I have a good job, and I just might be gettin' a better one. And I think havin' a family would seal the deal. See, my boss? He's a real family man. He sees me settlin' down with a pretty little thing like you and a baby? Well, he respects things like that. If I got a boss that respects me, then things are gonna be real good."_

 _"You think so?" Carol asked, leaning forward slightly._

 _"I know so," he said with a positive smile. "I can take you away from this. I can give you a life you never could dream of. I could give this baby a life. It could be our baby. Nobody would ever have to know."_

 _"You don't even know me. I don't even know you," Carol protested._

 _"But we could get to know each other. See, darlin', I'm pressed for time. I told my boss I've got a wife, and she's getting ready to move up here. See, I told him we met in California, and she hadn't moved out here yet."_

 _"Ed…I don't know."_

 _"Come on, darlin'. You don't even have to love me. Just…just give me a chance to show you that I could give you and your baby a whole other life. You won't want for anything. Best of all? Your baby won't want for anything. Just…say you'll think about it. Say you'll give me a chance."_

 _"Why me?" she asked. "Why…why someone like me?" She looked around, wondering if she looked classy enough to be in a restaurant like this. Did people know she was a whore? Did people know men paid her for sex? Did they know that?_

 _She looked down at her hands that sat folded in her lap._

 _"Look at me," he said with a charming smile, brushing his fingers over her wrist. She looked back up at him, and she swore she saw her whole future flash before her eyes. "You're the most beautiful woman I ever did see, and I think we could be happy. I want to help you, and you can help me. And maybe we can be happy. Whaddya say? Want to take a chance with me?"_ _Carol took a deep breath as the tears began to fall, and she smiled through them._

 _"Ok. Let's take a chance." After all, anything had to be better than the selling her body and hoping each night when she fell asleep that she wouldn't wake up in the morning._

...

Carol pulled the curtain back, staring down at Daryl Dixon's house as the last light in the house went out. She sighed heavily, leaning her forehead against the cool window. As unbelievably warm as this Georgia night was, it was cooler outside than in the house. Ed had gotten the electric bill last week and had had a fit when he'd seen the rise in prices. Since then, they'd had to suffer the sweltering nights. And Carol could never sleep. Not when it was this hot.

She cast a glance back at the bed, where Ed was sleeping in his underwear, sprawled out over his side of the bed and hers. She sighed softly and padded across the room and down into the hallway. The silk nightie she wore was incredibly uncomfortable, but she wouldn't sleep naked. Not tonight. Not with the ugly bruise forming on her side.

She checked on Sophia, who was curled up with Kirby on the bed. A sad smile swept over Carol's face as she gazed upon her daughter, innocent and sweet, sleeping away without a care in the world.

Her side ached, and Carol winced at the pull and throb under the bruise. She closed Sophia's door and made her way to the bathroom. Closing herself in and flipping on the light, she stripped out of her silk negligee, something Ed had bought her last week after a particularly nasty fight that had ended up with her bleeding on the bathroom floor.

She felt the tears stinging then, and she bent over the sink, hanging her head as she finally let the sob escape. Sniffling and trying her hardest to hold it back, she crumpled and slid to the floor, leaning over the pristine white bathtub, letting the cool surface cool her aching skin.

She could hear the floorboards creak under Ed's heavy footsteps, and she quickly pulled herself to her feet, slipping the gown over her head and moving to the sink to wash her tears away. The door opened without a knock, and Ed stepped in, closing the door behind himself.

"Let me see," he said softly, tiredly. Carol fought back the urge to push him, to run, to escape. She turned then, wiping her face with the towel, and she lifted the gown over her hip just enough to reveal the wide bruise against her side. He winced, as if it physically hurt him to see it. He moved to his knees then, pressing soft kisses over the sore spot. She flinched as he touched her, but she didn't push him away. She knew better than that. She'd known this was coming. He'd always come to her, try to smooth things over. Things would be good again until the next time he decided she'd done something worthy of slapping her around.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, moving his hands over her hips. "You know I'm sorry, don't you, baby?"

"Yes, Ed," she said quietly, looking down as he looked up at her.

"You know I don't like to hurt you, don't you?"

"I know."

"I don't want you to go back to that life. I saved you. You were selling your body for money, and…"

 _And you were a paying customer_ , she thought, clenching her teeth to keep from speaking her thoughts aloud.

"And I can't have my wife going back to that kind of life."

"I wouldn't, Ed. Never."

"Don't talk back to me," he said sternly, pulling himself up, moving his hand over her cheek, cupping her face before leaning down for a chafing kiss.

"I'm sorry, Ed," she murmured, as he lowered his mouth to her neck. She closed her eyes tightly and gripped the sink to keep her balance.

"Tell me I can trust you. Tell me."

"You can trust me, Ed," she promised, words empty and flat.

"I saved you. I saved Sophia. Raised her as my own. I gave you a roof over your head. And you want to hurt me by trying to make me jealous with the new neighbor?"

"No, Ed."

"Don't," he murmured, fingers pressing against her neck again.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear I'm sorry. I wanna know you're grateful," he seethed, eyes dark as he stared into hers. She trembled then, gripping the sink tighter as he bent her back enough that she could feel the muscles straining in her back.

"I am," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm grateful."

"What do we say when we're grateful, darlin'?" he asked.

"T-thank you," she managed to bite out, before he kissed her again.

"That's more like it. You know where you'd be if it wasn't for me, don't you?" She nodded. "Do you wanna go back there? Do you wanna lose Sophia?" She shook her head again, feeling the burn in her eyes as she blinked back the tears. "Good." He backed off of her and took her hand in his. "Come on, sweetheart. Let me take you to bed, show you how much I love you." She followed him stiffly, holding back the urge to throw up as he took her to bed and crawled over her. She closed her eyes and went to another place, letting him use her until he was spent, until he was so tired he crawled off of her and went right back to snoring.

She lay there afterward, sticky and hot, tears streaming down her face as she prayed for a chance to get away, a chance to take Sophia and make a real life, a life where nobody had to walk on eggshells and where she didn't have to feel like she was just a piece of furniture, a bought-and-paid-for object for Ed to use whenever he felt the urge.

...

Carol waited until she heard the front door open and close before she even attempted to get out of bed. Ed had an early meeting, and most mornings, he expected breakfast, but this morning, she could pretend she was too exhausted and still sound asleep until he pulled himself out of bed for a shower.

The moment she heard the car pull out of the drive, she rushed to the window to make sure he was really gone, and there he went, speeding down the road as usual, in a hurry to get to work and kiss his boss' ass.

She checked the time, making a mental note to wake Sophia in a half hour, and she used the time to take a shower, scrubbing away last night's encounter with Ed. She felt sick, and with each swipe of the wash cloth over the places he'd touched, she felt a little cleaner, a little less like throwing up.

She'd wanted to leave him so many times, but there was Sophia to consider. Without Ed, honestly, she didn't know where she'd be. For all she knew, she might have been dead from disease or a bad date gone wrong. And Sophia could have been…no, she didn't want to think about that.

She pulled herself out of the shower and quickly dressed, choosing a blue tank top after examining herself for bruises. When she was confident there were none showing, she pulled on a pair of jeans and headed down the hall to wake Sophia.

"Soph? You up?"

"Yeah, Mama," Sophia called tiredly. Carol opened the door, greeting her daughter with a smile as the youngster sat up with messy hair sticking up every which direction.

"Morning, sweetheart."

"Morning," Sophia beamed.

"You better take Kirby out back so he can go." Sophia nodded, sliding her feet into her slippers, walking over to the door and calling him.

"Come on, boy!" she called. Kirby bounded off the bed and followed Sophia obediently out into the hall. Carol smiled and went down to start breakfast.

After Sophia was on the bus and Kirby was chewing on a piece of rawhide, Carol decided it was a good time to go out and get some yard work done. Ed had been on her about cutting down those 'goddamned rose bushes' that lined the fence between their house and the newly bought house next door.

As she moved across the yard, she glanced toward Mr. Dixon's house to see the big moving van was still parked in the drive. What she didn't expect was Mr. Dixon himself to be standing in the back yard of his house in a pair of black sweatpants and nothing else. She froze, seeing the scars on his back as he stood there away from her. Long, deep scars that entwined with an intricate tattoo on his back below his shoulder. Her breath quickened as she watched him stretch a little. He turned enough for her to see the cigarette sticking out between his lips, and she didn't know whether to make her presence known or to hide behind the nearest tree. Instead, her body had other plans, and she sucked in a sharp breath as her heart began to pound. Clearly, he heard her, and he turned in surprise to see someone watching him.

"Um, hi," she said awkwardly, moving back toward the rose bush, walking as if she were trying to keep her distance despite there being a fence in between them.

"Hey."

"Sleep alright in your new place?" she asked, peeking over her shoulder as if expecting to see Ed rounding the corner, face red with fury. Her side throbbed then, and she folded an arm protectively around her middle.

"Sure did, Mrs. Peletier," he replied. She could see him looking at her, his eyes moving over her body, not in an obvious way, not the way she'd been used to before. He wasn't leering at her, just observing, and still, it made her nervous. She could still hear Ed's voice in her ear when he accused her of flaunting herself. Her side ached again.

She turned then to start back toward the house but froze when he spoke her name.

"Carol. Uh, Mrs. Peletier," he said quietly. "You want some coffee? I made a pot, and it's too much for just me." Carol couldn't help the sad smile that appeared on her face, but she made sure it was gone before she turned around to look at him.

"No, thank you. I was just coming out to do some yard work."

"Funny, so was I," he replied.

"Don't you have to work?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I work at night," he replied with a shrug. "But I ain't started workin' yet."

"Oh," she said quietly. "Well, I was going to work on this rose bush here." She pointed to the scraggly looking thing that had started growing over onto his side.

"Need some help?"

"Oh, no. No. I can handle it," she said quickly, peering over her shoulder again.

"You expectin' company?"

"Huh? Me? No."

"Mrs. Peletier. Carol?" She glanced at him briefly, feeling her heart starting to race. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. Um, I forgot to…to say welcome to the neighborhood yesterday."

"Yeah, ya kinda took off in a hurry there," he said with a chuckle. "But, thank you." Carol was just about to turn to head to the tool shed when something over the fence caught her eye. She gasped softly. Daryl turned to look that direction.

"Are those…are those Cherokee roses?"

"Looks like it," he said with a nod. "You like 'em?"

"I…we had a whole bunch of them outside my house when I was little. They were my mother's favorite, and my father…I remember him bringing a whole bunch of them to my mother on their anniversary. I always loved to sit and look at them. It just…brings back a lot of memories. A lot of good ones." She smiled sadly, shaking her head at the memory. "Um, I should get to work."

"Alright. You need any help, just let me know." She started to turn, but he stopped her. "Hey, wait." He moved over toward the bush and quickly clipped off one of the pretty little flowers. "Here. For the memories." She felt her eyes sting with tears, and she blinked a few times to keep them at bay. He lay the delicate flower in the palm of her hand, and she took in a deep breath, biting her lip to keep from laughing, crying or whatever it was that was bubbling up inside of her chest. She couldn't remember the last time someone had so thoughtfully given her something so beautiful.

"Thank you, Mr. Dixon. Um, Daryl." She swallowed thickly, and he nodded at her, and as she turned, she could feel his eyes on her, only she didn't feel uncomfortable. She didn't feel exposed. She didn't feel like he expected anything of her, not like when Ed looked at her. She'd learned to read the subtle nuance of each gaze. She knew when he was angry, when that anger was going to spin out of control, when he wanted sex, when he wanted her to pretend she wanted it more than anything else. She'd learned how to read him a long time ago, and sometimes, sometimes just knowing that look in his eye was the difference between a beating and a slap in the face.

She glanced over her shoulder as she walked away, and she saw him turn quickly and go about his business. And despite Ed's words echoing in her head, despite her own fears and insecurities, she smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _"You're what?!" Andrea asked, gaping at Carol as she stood in the bathroom doorway. Carol was putting in some pretty earrings that Ed had bought for her. He said they were real diamonds, and she wasn't really a diamond kind of girl, but she'd been taught by her mother a long time ago not to be rude and to just accept a gift when it was given._

 _"I'm getting married," she replied._

 _"You're shitting me, right?"_

 _"I'm not," Carol said quietly._

 _"You've been on, what, five dates with the guy, and weren't three of them because he paid you?" Andrea asked, putting her hands on her hips._

 _"He promised me that I'm the only one."_

 _"Honey, they all say that. It sets the mood. Makes you feel special," Andrea replied, rolling her eyes._

 _"Maybe," she said quietly. "But, he's taking me away from this. He bought a house. Oh, Andrea, you should see it. It's beautiful. Like nothing I've ever seen before." Carol finished putting the back on one of her earrings and turned around. "He's taking me away."_

 _"You trust this guy?" Andrea asked._

 _"He says he sees something in me; he says he wants to help me. I don't know, Andrea. Maybe it's bullshit. But maybe it's not. Maybe this is my out."_

 _"Do you love the guy?"_

 _"I think I will. I think so. He's very kind to me." She put her hand on her stomach. "And this isn't a life for a baby. You said so yourself. Andrea, I never_ wanted _this kind of life. I never thought I'd end up here. I'm ashamed of myself. I just want to forget it. And Ed? Maybe he can help me do that." Her voice shook, and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm not blaming it on anything. On anyone. I'm just…I don't want my kid growing up to know what kind of person I am."_

 _"What you do? It doesn't define you," Andrea promised, putting her hands on Carol's shoulders. "Yeah, they look at us and think one thing. But they aren't us. They don't know the kind of shit we've been dealt. They don't know. But we do. And we live with that. It's how we sleep at night. It's how we keep our heads up when everything seems so goddamned hopeless." Carol sighed then, shoulders slumping._

 _"I just want to forget, Andrea. I need to forget it. I need to get out now, because if I don't, I might never. You said you've tried."_

 _"I tried. I even got myself a job once. Got hired at a real nice place. And then guess what happened? My direct supervisor ended up being one of my old Johns. He recognized me. And he wasn't going to tell anybody." She scoffed. "So long as I'd fuck him for free." Andrea looked away. "I refused, and he tried…well, let's just say I was fired for not being a 'team player.'"_

 _"You could leave. You could. Just start over."_

 _"Yeah," Andrea snorted. "And find me a millionaire who'll buy me diamonds and fancy clothes. This isn't_ Pretty Woman. _I don't trust this guy."_

 _"I have to," Carol murmured. "I just…have to."_

...

Carol sat on the plush carpet of the bedroom she shared with Ed. With her back against the side of the bed, she pulled a shoe box into her lap and brushed her fingers over the dusty lid. She hadn't pulled the pictures out in so long, her heart swelled with anticipation at the thought of seeing them again. Photographs of another life. Photographs of a memory.

She pulled out a few, photographs of her grandparents that she couldn't even remember. They'd all died before she was born or when she was very little. And then her dad had died when she was thirteen, leaving her with her mother, who doted on her and worked very hard to keep a roof over their heads.

Carol smiled sadly as she brushed her fingertip over the face on the photograph. Her mother, a woman she used to look like, but anymore, when she looked in the mirror, she saw a shell of a person, vague, vacant eyes, expressionless face. And here she looked at the photograph of her mother at her age, bright and beaming, a true saint in Carol's eyes. She'd worked so hard to give her daughter a good life, but then fate's cruel hand had knocked her back, striking her down with cancer.

Carol felt the tears sting her eyes, and she clutched the picture to her chest, remembering her mother's final days, holding her hand as the nurse came and went checking vitals and bathing her as the medicines did what the oncologist called 'keeping her comfortable.'

The last days had been the worst. With each moment that her mother's body began to shut down, so shut down a door to Carol's future.

She'd worked odd jobs waitressing and babysitting, but with her mother's increasing frailty and illness, it had become too much, and after barely graduating high school, she'd taken to staying home, caring for her mother around the clock with the help of a nurse that came by once a day. They'd lived off of her mother's monthly check, a meager income, but it had been enough to keep the rent paid and the fridge filled with food.

The next photograph was of her as a baby, sitting in her mother's lap on the front porch of the first house she'd ever lived in. Her mother had been so young, so vibrant and happy. She couldn't remember the sound of her mother's laugh or the way she smelled like lavender. She knew her mother had laughed plenty, that she'd worn the same lavender perfume for most of her life. But the image of her mother, thin and frail and grey, smelling of hospital linen and bile was there at the forefront of her mind, a lasting memory right before she'd passed.

The days after had been a blur of empty promises of a place to stay if she needed anything, a shoulder to cry on. The insurance had paid for the funeral and burial expenses, but after that, the seven hundred dollars that Carol had managed to save back from her own wages had only gone so far. And the landlord had only been able to look the other way on short rent payments so much.

She choked back a sob as she flipped through the pictures, smiling faces in happier times, posed for the camera, a perfect life captured in time. And then she came upon one, a photograph of when she was fourteen, before her mother's diagnosis. There they were, her mother and her, laughing and sitting on the ground, their hands joined as they made a diamond with their legs, feet fitted with roller skates. Carol laughed then, tears streaming down her cheeks as she remembered begging and begging her mother for a pair of roller skates. She'd wanted it more than anything else, and they'd bough them together, both falling over one another as they practiced. But they'd gotten better, and they'd gotten good, and it had been something silly and fun they'd shared. And she couldn't believe she'd forgotten that. And the more she thought about it, the more her heart hurt, and she looked away, unable to stand it any longer.

"I miss you, Mama," she whispered, stuffing the photographs back in the shoebox. "I miss you, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." She sniffled then, reaching up onto the bedside table and pulling the small flower into her hand, gently running her fingertips over the soft petals. She closed her eyes against the stinging tears, remembering the way Daryl had looked at her when he'd given her that flower, so kind and unassuming of anything given in return. A simple act from a perfect stranger.

How was it that such a small gesture could open her up to memories long gone, long forgotten. She'd forgotten them out of necessity, out of survival. The further she pushed away those happy memories, the more bearable living with her past, her present and her future had become. She'd resigned herself to being Ed's wife, being the whore he'd saved, the whore that was supposed to be grateful for being saved. She'd resigned herself to dying, whether by his hands or by the darkness she felt growing in her heart every time he touched her.

But when Daryl Dixon had put that flower in her hand, the brush of calloused fingers over her palm had woken something up inside of her that she'd thought was long gone. Hope. And it scared the hell out of her.

...

She'd cleaned the house from top to bottom, something she often did when she let her emotions get out of check. Ed didn't like her to cry. He didn't like much emotion out of her. Even in the bedroom, he never paid much attention to satisfying her. It was always about him, about her pleasing him, about her showing her gratitude for saving her from a life of destitution and depravity.

Her moments of weakness had to come when she was alone. She couldn't cry in front of him unless she expected to get hit. She couldn't cry in front of Sophia and show her that something was wrong, because Ed would start the mind games, threatening her with taunts of keeping Sophia from her if she didn't stop acting like a damned child with all that blubbering.

She shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek as she fought against the anger. She could spend her energy being angry at Ed. Hating Ed. But when it all came down to it, she was more than angry at herself, because it was useless to be angry at the dead. Her father had died, leaving her mother to raise her alone. Then her mother had died. And neither one of her parents had thought to set up any sort of savings or trust in the event of orphaning their child. And she'd looked for work. She'd tried. And she'd still ended up on the street, sleeping in the back of an old car under an old bridge outside of town. She'd been surprised to find it, surprised to find shelter so quickly. But it hadn't lasted long, as the police had gotten wind of it, and one night she'd returned to find her new 'home' gone.

Then she'd met Andrea, and from there, the downward spiral had continued. She couldn't blame Andrea, who had bought her lunch when she'd found her counting loose change on a park bench. And the two women had hit it off, and Andrea had offered her a place to stay, a roof, at least. And Carol had put in more job applications than she'd ever thought about at places she hadn't even known existed. And not one call. Not one. Andrea had tried talking her out of it, tried telling her to wait, that something good would come, but nothing ever did. And one night after a few too many drinks, Carol had decided to stop wasting time and take her life back. Her first John had been a kind man with a kind face, shaky hands and a wedding band. She'd tried to overlook it, but she still remembered the look of guilt in his eyes every time he touched her. And she hated herself for it. Hated herself for selling herself the way she had.

Andrea had been horrified at first, angry that Carol had chosen to go down the same path. But she'd been there for her, driving her to the free clinic once a month for testing, making sure she had everything she needed.

It had gone on for months, and Carol had hated every minute. Every time they touched her, every time, she took herself to a place where she used to be happy, where her life had some meaning. She never would have guessed when Ed swept her off of her feet that she'd have to do the same when he touched her, whether it was when he was beating her or fucking her. It was all the same.

She was just finishing mopping the kitchen floor when she heard a knock at the front door. She startled, and the mop clattered to the floor. With shaky hands, she stood it back up, leaning it against the counter. She walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to find Daryl Dixon standing at her front door, peering through the screen. She felt her heart begin to race when she saw him there, and she mentally scolded herself for it. She was a married woman. Maybe she wasn't happily married. Maybe she wasn't happy. But she was married.

"Can I help you?" she asked, stepping up to the screen, gently touching the handle.

"Turns out, my bike needs some work, and it ain't runnin'. My truck's in the shop, and I'm s'posed to take the moving truck in today. Ain't got nothin' to drive home. You wouldn't…you wouldn't mind givin' me a ride, would ya? I hate to ask, but I gotta have it there in an hour."

"I…I don't drive," Carol said quietly.

"You don't know how to drive?"

"I didn't say that," she replied, swallowing hard. She looked over her shoulder, knowing well enough that Ed wasn't even home, that he was forty five minutes away and probably not even thinking about her. "I just…I don't drive much. Ed does the driving. My husband." Daryl squinted at her briefly, glancing toward her garage.

"So you ain't got a car?"

"I didn't say that, either." _Stop! God, why can't you just keep your mouth shut for once?_

The truth was, Ed didn't like her to drive. He said she drove like a damned woman. There was a little sports car in the garage, and it was Ed's. A real cherry of a car, shiny and spotless, and she knew where Ed kept the spare key. And there would be hell to pay if he suspected that she had even breathed near it. Which was why the next words out of her mouth were a mystery to her.

"Just…let me grab the keys."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _Carol felt small in such a big house from the moment she stepped through the front door. The foyer was bigger than Andrea's whole apartment, and everything looked so pristine and new. Ed had had the house furnished in accordance with what he thought his new wife's tastes were. While he was pretty much off base on everything, it was still a lovely place._

 _She felt his arms circle around her waist, hands splaying out over her stomach as he kissed the back of her neck. She hunched her shoulders, still not used to this, not used to being treated like a wife instead of a piece of meat to be bought and paid for._

 _"I don't know about all this," Carol murmured._

 _"Now, darlin'," Ed soothed, "you just wait. You're gonna love it."_

 _"I'll feel funny, having a big house like this all to myself all day. Maybe once the baby's born, I can go out and get a job, have something to do."_

 _"No wife of mine is gonna be out there workin'. You already worked enough for one lifetime. That's behind you now, ain't it?"_

 _"Well, yes, but…"_

 _"But nothin'. I want a wife to come home to. Want dinner on the table. Want my kid playin' on the floor." Carol smiled stiffly thinking Ed basically wanted a fifties television show. "And how do you expect to get yourself a job with a resume like yours?" Carol flinched then, and Ed squeezed her a little tighter. She shrugged away when he kissed her neck, and she put some distance between them. "Aw, honey, I didn't mean it that way." He stepped toward her, reaching out for her._

 _"That's not who I am. It's a part of who I was, but it's not me."_

 _"Not anymore," Ed replied._

 _"Not ever," she replied. For a moment, something flashed across Ed's face, and she couldn't quite read it, but she didn't like it._

 _"Darlin', your secret's safe with me. I ain't exactly aimin' to tell folks my wife used to walk the streets."_

 _"Ed, please," she pleaded._

 _"But I saved you, didn't I? I got you out." Carol nodded then, swallowing thickly. "And now we're gonna be a family. You, me and our baby." He placed his hands on her stomach. "And that's all she'll ever need to know. That I'm her daddy. She'll never have to know the truth." Carol cradled her belly in her hands and looked down, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her. Ed tilted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Now go put on somethin' pretty. Got a company party tonight, and I wanna show you off." He leaned down to kiss her softly, and she couldn't help but smile against his lips. This was new. She'd practically married a stranger. But he had saved her. He'd gotten her and her child away from a life she'd never expected in the first place, and there was a chance this could be good. This could work._

 _"A party tonight? But we just moved in."_

 _"A party," he said with a nod. "I wanna show off my beautiful wife." He grabbed her hand and gave it a firm squeeze, but it didn't feel warm. It felt possessive. "Now if anybody asks?"_

 _"We met in San Francisco, and you've been flying back and forth to see me. We've just gotten married, and our baby's due in November." She had thought about it over and over again. She was playing a part. She knew she could do this. And if she did this, then Ed would be happy, and things would be good. All she had to do was get through this night, charm his co-workers and everything would be good._

...

Thankfully, the tank was on full, and Carol knew from Ed's boasting about it that when it seemed to stay on full for damned near forever. So as she pulled out onto the street with shaking hands gripping the steering wheel, she relaxed a little, telling herself that she was just doing something nice for a new neighbor, and if Ed ever found out, she'd try to reason with him, try to make up some excuse that he would find acceptable. But, as she followed the moving truck closely, her own common sense set in, and she knew that there would be no reasoning with Ed.

She kept one hand on the wheel and opened up her purse, finding a ten dollar bill, one she'd stealthily stolen out of Ed's wallet last week. Well, not out of his wallet, exactly, but he'd dropped it without knowing, and she'd quickly snatched it up before he realized what had happened. She had a small box on the top shelf of their closet where she generally put the small amounts of cash Ed would allow her to have.

Over the years, she'd learned how to manage the money he'd given her for groceries and other necessities, switching to cheaper brands to save a few cents. And she had a little chunk of money saved up. It still wasn't anywhere near enough to start a new life over without Ed. And she doubted she'd ever have that. But if anything else, Sophia would grow up and go out on her own, and maybe she could pass that bit of money on to her, something to help her get as far away as possible and never look back. As much as she hated the idea of being without her daughter one day, she knew that it would probably come to that someday.

She followed Daryl across town, keeping aware of everything around her. When he pulled into the parking lot of the rental company, Carol pulled up by the door and waited as he turned in the key. She felt like her stomach was doing flips as she waited for him to leave the building. She pulled the ten dollar bill out of her purse and tucked it in her pocket, sliding her purse off of the seat to place it on the floorboard behind her.

Daryl came walking out of the office and opened up the car door, ducking inside.

"Thanks for this. Really appreciate it."

"It's no trouble," she said quietly. "Do you need to go anywhere else?"

"Nope," he replied. She noticed him glance at the clock. "You hungry?"

"Oh, I was going to make something when I got home. I just…I'm…"

"Least I can do to pay ya back for drivin' me into town is buy you lunch. Know any good places?" Carol stared at him for a moment, stunned silent. "Is it a hard question, or…?"

"No," she stammered. "No. I just…um, there's a little diner a few blocks away. Irma's. But you really don't have to."

"I want to," he said quietly. "Don't want my new neighbors thinkin' I'm some kind of mooch who don't pay his way." Carol flinched at that.

"You don't owe me anything," she said quietly, looking away and putting the car into drive. Daryl was silent for a moment, but he cast a glance at her anyway.

"M'sorry if I said somethin' to offend ya," he said quietly. Carol looked at him briefly as she pulled out onto the street. She sighed and shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. I…you didn't say anything. It's just me. My own stuff, you know?" Daryl nodded. "Actually, I am a little hungry. I wouldn't mind that lunch if you're still offering." She saw a hint of a smile on his lips then, and she suddenly felt as if her heart was doing somersaults. She knew she was playing with fire here. But she couldn't honestly remember the last time she'd had a real, honest to goodness sit down conversation with someone other than Ed or someone Ed knew. She hadn't really had anybody to talk to or confide in on a regular basis. She hadn't really had a friend. Not since Andrea. And she hadn't seen Andrea since the day she'd moved out and moved on with Ed, and every day, she thought about picking up the phone or getting online, anything to try and contact her, reach out to her, find out how she was.

Still, she knew that if Ed ever found out she was trying to contact someone from her old life, he'd fly off the handle. Probably, she realized, the same way he would react to knowing she went to lunch with their new neighbor.

Because it was lunch time, Irma's was a busy place. Carol recognized the owner, Irma Horvath working the till, and her husband, Dale was frying burgers on the grill. Irma's face lit up when she saw Carol, one of her regulars, and she waved her over.

"Hi Irma," Carol said softly, smiling at the older woman as they shared a smile. "This is my new neighbor, Daryl Dixon."

"Well, hi honey. Nice to meet you," the woman said warmly to Daryl. "There's a back corner booth all clean and ready. You mind having a seat? I need to talk to my favorite customer for a minute." Daryl gave them a little nod, and Irma turned back to Carol. "I haven't seen you in a while. Is everything ok?"

"Things are…are ok," Carol said with a not-so-convincing smile. Her eyes told a much different story.

"You haven't left that husband of yours yet? Honey, he's no good for you."

"Irma, you're very sweet, but you don't understand," Carol murmured.

"I understand I've seen you come in here on more than one occasion with a bruised, swollen eye. And I've not once seen you come in with him. He doesn't know you come here, does he honey?" A few more diners entered the restaurant, and Carol took a step back. Irma sighed.

"I'm fine," Carol replied quietly. "I should get back to my neighbor." Irma shook her head, giving her an unconvinced stare. The knowing stare a mother would give her daughter when she's lying to her. Carol couldn't help the thought that crept into her mind. It didn't help matters that Irma bore a slight resemblance to Carol's own mother. In some ways, Carol thought, her mother might have looked a bit like Irma Horvath if she'd lived a long, full and healthy life.

Carol quickly turned and made her way to the back of the diner, where Daryl was talking to a pretty waitress who smiled and brushed her hair over her shoulder as she talked to him. Carol slowed, watching the way the waitress scribbled on the pad, the way she touched Daryl's shoulder when he said something that was apparently hilarious and threw her head back with laughter.

"Excuse me," Carol said quietly, stepping past the girl so she could slide into the booth.

"I was just ordering coffee. You like coffee?" he asked, nodding toward her.

"Hmm," she nodded. "Sugar and creamer, please."

"Alright. Here are the menus." T he girl put the menus down in front of each of them. "I'll be back with your coffee." She winked at Daryl, and Carol couldn't help but notice the pink tinge to Daryl's cheeks, as if he wasn't used to beautiful women flirting with him. It surprised her, honestly.

"You come here a lot?" he asked, when the waitress was gone. Carol looked down at the menu.

"Used to," she said quietly. "Lately? No." Honestly, the last time she'd come in, she'd looked so bad that Irma had almost called the police at the sight of her. But Carol had quietly pleaded with her not to, asked for a cup of coffee, paid and left.

"That lady seems like she knows ya pretty well."

"Yeah," Carol said quietly, smiling as she stared at the menu ,unable to concentrate on anything for more than half a second. "Irma's nice. She makes a point to get to know her regulars. Or she tries, anyway." Carol cleared her throat, looking up as the bell above the door rang again. Daryl noticed the way she looked up each time as if she was expecting someone to walk through the door.

"You ok?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm? I'm fine. I think I'll have the Chef's salad. Irma makes her own dressing, and it's so good it's sinful." She cleared her throat and looked up as another patron walked in. Only this time, she snapped her gaze back down, and she began to slide out of the booth.

"Hey, you ok?"

"Um, I'm fine. Can you…can you order for me? Chef's salad with the house Italian."

"'Course. You sure you're ok?" Carol nodded then, sliding out of the booth and rushing away toward the bathroom. Daryl stared after her for a moment before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped at the contact, looking up to see Irma standing there with a concerned expression on her face.

"Is she alright?" she asked.

"Ma'am?"

"Your friend. Carol."

"Tell you the truth, Ma'am, we just met. I just moved in next to her, and I don't know her too well. She gave me a ride this mornin', and I'm payin' her back with lunch." Irma nodded shortly.

"She's a good woman," she said softly. "And I don't think she realizes it. She's sad. She comes in here, and she's so sad." Daryl swallowed hard at that, a little bewildered by it all. "You're her neighbor. You'll keep an eye on her?"

"Ma'am, I don't…"

"I think he hurts her. Her husband? I've seen her in pretty bad shape before." Irma's voice lowered with each word. "You'll keep an eye on her, won't you?" Daryl looked off toward the bathroom where Carol had disappeared, and he cleared his throat. He'd thought there was something off about his neighbors, but if what Irma was saying was true, he could honestly believe it. And now the anxious way Carol had of looking over her shoulder, of startling easily, well, it made a lot of sense. Still, he couldn't be sure, and if there was one thing he knew above anything else, it was that if he was going to accuse somebody of hurting their wife, he damned well needed to have some evidence to back it up.

"Yes, ma'am. I can do that." Irma gave his shoulder a squeeze and then a pat, and then she was gone. Daryl noticed Carol looking around worriedly when she returned from the bathroom. When she seemed satisfied that whatever had spooked her off was gone, she relaxed a little, and Daryl watched as she accepted a cup of coffee eagerly from the waitress and began to sip it in silence.

"You ok?" he asked quietly, getting a glance from her as she sipped at her coffee.

"Fine," she replied with a half smile and a vacant glance toward the restaurant door. He felt something grip him, deep down in his belly, and he felt that sick feeling, heavy in his belly like he used to feel every time his daddy walked through the door. It was like the sound went out of the room, like the air rushed out of the window, and his mama's knitting needles would stop clinking, and she'd spend the rest of the day tiptoeing around the place like a quiet little church mouse in an attempt to not stir the waters. He knew the look of a woman afraid of something, afraid of someone she shouldn't be afraid of. He hadn't understood it much when he was a boy, but he sure as hell understood it now.

He passed her the sugar and the creamer, and she gave him a thankful smile just as the waitress came back to break the silence and ask them for their orders.

...

Carol stopped by the gas station to top off the tank before heading home. They'd both been pretty quiet during lunch, and Carol had been thankful he hadn't asked her what had scared her off to the bathroom so quickly. If he'd asked, she'd have had to come up with some sort of lie. She couldn't very well tell him that one of her husband's colleagues had come into the diner, and if word had gotten back to Ed that his wife was having lunch with a strange man, then she'd be looking forward to a beating when he got home from work.

When she pulled into the drive and into the garage, she and Daryl got out quietly, and he stood by while she closed the door.

"Thank you for lunch," she said quietly, standing at a distance from him.

"Welcome," he said with a little nod. "I 'preciate the ride." He cleared his throat.

"Well, I should…I have things to do."

"Right," he said quietly. Carol started to turn to walk to the house, and she stopped when she heard him take a step toward her. "Hey." She turned toward him. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," she said with an unconvincing smile. "I just have a lot to do around the house. Sophia will be home soon, so…"

"Alright," he said quietly. "Just, if you ever need any help…with anything…I'm just next door." Carol eyed him for a moment. What the hell was that even supposed to mean?

"Um, thank you. Thanks, Daryl." She pulled her arms around herself, shrugging her shoulders a little as she turned and walked away. An unsettling feeling washed over her, and she shivered, glancing over her shoulder to see him watching her walk away.

She wasn't used to this, wasn't used to someone watching her every move. At least not in that way. She was used to being under Ed's thumb, used to stepping on eggshells in his presence, trying not to stir the air and piss him off in any way, shape or form. But to have him asking her if she was ok, to have a stranger like Irma checking on her, too, it was all too much and not enough.

She closed the door behind herself when she stepped inside the house, and Kirby yipped at her from his doggy bed at the end of the hall. Carol quickly put the keys to Ed's car back in their place, all the while trying to avoid throwing up her lunch all over the floor. She was shaking, fingers trembling as she reached down to pat the top of Kirby's head.

She lowered herself to sit on the first stair step, and she cradled her head in her hands. What had she been thinking? How could she have been so stupid? She had to be more careful. She had far too much to lose. She had to stay away from the kind neighbor next door. No more trips to the diner with the kind owners. She had to stop. She had to think about Sophia.

 _You do it for her. She matters. Do it for her._

So why the hell couldn't she stop thinking about the kind neighbor with the soulful blue eyes and the way it made her feel to look into them and see what could have been in another universe, another life? And how was it that a complete stranger had shown more concern for her in just a couple of hours than her own husband had in the last ten years? The sickening realization that the walls of her marriage were closing in around knocked the wind out of her for a moment.

She gripped the banister and pulled herself to her feet. She had to stop feeling like this. She had to stop thinking about everyone and anyone outside of her family, because this was all she had, and she had to keep her head on straight, had to keep her emotions in check, because if she didn't, she knew, without a doubt, that she could lose everything she held precious in this world.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _"What a beautiful baby! Oh, she has her father's eyes," a woman cooed, handing the infant over to Carol, who smiled accordingly. "Don't you, precious? You're the spitting image of your daddy." Carol looked to Ed, who beamed with pride and took the baby into his arms._

 _Carol had to hand it to Ed. He was a charmer. He knew how to make a good impression on his colleagues and his employers, and he'd had everybody practically eating out of his hand all night. Of course, bringing the baby downstairs to show off had helped win over the ladies at the party. And Carol had smiled and shown appreciation for all of the kindness, despite the fact that she knew it was a load of bullshit that Sophia looked anything like Ed._

 _Sometimes she could see that Sophia looked like her. Other times, Carol wondered who this beautiful baby took after at all. It pained her to think that Sophia would grow up to live a lie, but at the same time, she would never want for anything. She was going to have the kind of childhood that had been cut short for Carol, and Carol wanted to make certain she never had to make the choices her mother had had to make._

 _Carol politely excused herself from the departing crowd to get Sophia back down to sleep. She took her time, rocking her back and forth, humming sweetly to her as the little one's eyelids grew heavy. Finally, Sophia was sleeping, and Carol gently placed her down in the crib. Placing a soft kiss to the baby's forehead, Carol turned the light out and let the glow of a nightlight fill the nursery._

 _She retired to the master bedroom, where Ed had taken off his suit jacket and was standing by the bed, loosening his tie. He looked at her when she walked in and took a swig of bourbon from the almost empty glass._

 _"I had fun tonight," she said softly. "We haven't had a party like that in a while." She moved toward him but stopped abruptly when she saw the way he was looking at her. His eyes were glassy, and she knew he was drunk, but she also knew that he was pissed off about something. "Ed? Are you alright?"_

 _"I bet you had fun," he said with a dry laugh, drinking down the last of his bourbon before slamming the glass down on the bedside table. Carol jumped, her nerves splintering as she took a step back and he stepped toward her._

 _"Ed?"_

 _"I've never been so fuckin' embarrassed," he snarled, yanking his tie off and tossing it to the ground. Carol gasped, trembling as he towered over her. She'd seen him plenty angry before, but not like this. Not at her. She'd seen him indifferent, but this was something altogether new, and it terrified her._

 _"Ed? Please talk to me. What…what happened?"_

 _"Don't play that game, you stupid little whore," he barked._

 _"Ed!" she cried. "Ed, stop!"_

 _"I saw you. I saw the way you talked to him. The way you touched him."_

 _"Ed, what? I don't know what you're talking about?"_

 _"Oh, don't give me that bullshit! You know goddamned well what!" He reached back then, and before she knew what he was doing, he was backhanding her, and she stumbled backward, landing hard against the door, cupping her cheek in her hands. Her mouth fell open in stunned silence before the tears broke and the sobs began. "Now you're gonna cry? You're gonna cry now? You know you were wrong! That's why!"_

 _"Ed, I don't…I don't…" She gasped for breath between sobs as the painful stinging in her cheek gave way to pulsing throbs. He'd never put his hands on her like that before, and now, as she inched back against the wall, she felt like she was looking at a stranger. He knelt down next to her, gripping her wrists tightly._

 _"I saw you with him. Saw the way you were lookin' at him. Saw the way he was lookin' at you." And then Carol remembered. One of the guys from Ed's office, a nice man named Tobin. She couldn't even remember his last name, but he'd been kind to her, telling her a couple of funny stories about Ed at the office. At one point, she'd lost her balance, and she'd fallen forward, and he'd caught her, and she'd had her hand on his arm. But it had been innocent, and it had only been a moment. But clearly Ed had noticed.._

 _"It's not what you think," she cried, incredulous. "It wasn't…"_

 _"This is the thanks I get for everything I did for you? I got you off the streets. I put a roof over your head, gave you a name to get you some respect. I bring you into my life, take care of you, save you from that life, and you go and embarrass me like that?"_

 _"Ed, I…I wasn't….I didn't think that…"_

 _"I love you," he choked out, grip softening on her wrists. "Darlin', I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I got so damned jealous when I saw him with you, and I thought…"_

 _"I love you," she sniffled. "It wasn't what you think, Ed." She moved her hand away from her face, and Ed gently placed his thumb and forefinger against her chin and turned her face to examine the damage._

 _"I'm so sorry, darlin'. I never meant to hurt you. I just…you hurt me, honey, and I just…" He ran his fingers through his hair and sat back, as if he was shocked at what he'd done. Carol scrambled to her knees, scooting over to place her hands on his shoulders._

 _"Ed, I'm sorry," she whimpered, heart torn between wanting to run and having no place to go. "I'm sorry, Ed."_

 _"I swear to God, darlin', I'll never hurt you again. Hand to God." He leaned forward, gripping her forearms and resting his forehead against hers. "You forgive me, baby?"_

 _"I forgive you," she whimpered, shaking as he pulled her into his embrace. She choked back a sob and everything she hated about her past and she pushed through it. She looked up at the family portrait that hung next to their bed. Her and Ed with baby Sophia, a happy family picture. They could still have that. He was sorry. Things would be different in the morning. She had to tell herself that. She had to believe it._

...

Carol jumped at the sound of the front door opening and closing, and she felt a tug in her sore side when Ed's loud footsteps came booming down the hall quickly. She panicked then, glancing toward the silverware drawer, wondering if she had the guts to reach in for a knife and defend herself. But before she could think, she gasped at the feeling of his arms snaking around her waist and him burying his face against the back of her neck. She stiffened and his hands moved up her waist, and he froze.

"What's wrong, darlin'? That any way to greet your man when he comes home from work?" He turned her quickly in his arms, pressing her back against the kitchen counter. She winced in pain, and he let go of her. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," she murmured, trying to keep her voice light, void of anger. Ed narrowed his eyes at her, and he leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. Her mind flashed back to the night before, to the way he hurt her so badly and then took her to bed and showed her how much he 'loved' her. Her body had been used to this back and forth of anger and tenderness, but now, all she could do was recoil at the thought of him touching her.

She wrenched her way out from between him and the counter.

"The hell's the matter with you, woman?" he asked, voice losing patience by the moment.

"Nothing," she said airily. "Just a lot to do around the house. You're early." She gave him a shy smile, and to her surprise, he didn't press the matter further.

"Why don't ya go on upstairs and put on somethin' nice. M'takin' my two girls out for supper tonight."

"Ed? I've already got supper in the oven," she said, motioning toward the oven.

"It'll keep. C'mon now. I've got some good news, and we're gonna celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Carol asked, tensing a little. Ed's celebrations often involved booze, which often meant terrible things for her behind locked doors.

"It's good news, darlin'. I promise." He gave her a peck on the cheek, and she forced back every instinct to flinch. "Go tell Sophia she better be ready in ten minutes." Carol nodded quickly, moving away from Ed as quickly as she could to get upstairs to Sophia. With each step she took, she felt her heart sink a little at the thought that Ed's great news was probably going to mean not-so-great things for their family. She prayed she was wrong, but she wasn't honestly certain how much worse things could get.

...

Long after dusk, Daryl stepped on the front porch with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It was dark, and he could barely make out much of anything aside from the illuminated front porch lights as a breeze snaked its way down the sleepy street. He settled down, taking a puff on his cigarette, just as Ed Peletier's car pulled into the drive. He watched the way Carol got out of the driver's side first, the way her shoulders were slightly hunched, as if something were weighing heavy on her, pulling her down. He watched as she walked to the back of the car and opened the door, leaning down to say something softly to Sophia. She handed the little girl something, and from the sound, he could tell she gave her the keys.

Sophia hesitated briefly before Ed climbed out of the driver's side and stumbled around the car, and then she took off quickly to let herself in the house. Carol shut the car door, and Daryl watched as she moved around to the front. Ed started toward the house, and Carol lingered by the car. Daryl sat still, watching the scene play out as Ed stopped in his tracks and stalked briskly back toward Carol.

"You coulda had my goddamned back!" he hissed.

"Ed, I'm sorry," he murmured, voice low but loud enough that Daryl could hear.

"Try to do somethin' good for you, for our family, and I can't even get a little fuckin' support? The hell is wrong with you? You just as goddamned stupid as you are worthless?"

"Ed, please," Carol cried out. "You had too much to drink."

"I told you I was fine!"

"Well, I wasn't going to have you wrecking the car and killing all of us!" she spat back defiantly, shrinking back quickly as soon as she said it. Ed lurched forward then, and Daryl moved to stand, watching as, while Carol stood her ground, she flinched back as if she were about to be hit. But he didn't strike her. Instead, he pulled his head into his hands and groaned. And then she had her hands on his shoulders. "Come on. Let's get you inside, and I'll make you some coffee."

"Don't touch me," he spat back, pushing her hands away. She reached for him again, and he groaned in frustration. Daryl tossed his cigarette down into the dirt, put his beer down on the porch railing and started across the yard. Just as Ed was about to fall to the ground, Daryl caught his arm around his shoulder, helping him stand.

"Hey, there Ed. Let's get you inside, huh?" Carol stumbled backward in surprise as Daryl helped Ed stand up straight.

"Who the hell are you?" Ed asked, narrowing his eyes at him. "Oh, you're that neighbor my wife was makin' eyes at the other day, huh?" He snorted. "Take a good look at her. I'll tell you what, buddy, you can have her tonight if the price is right, ain't that right, honey?"

"Ed, please!" Carol choked out.

"Hey, c'mon," Daryl said, as Ed started to topple over. "Too much to drink, huh?"

"Yeah, well, you know how it is," Ed muttered, shaking his head. "Leave me be." Ed shrugged Daryl off quickly and started for the porch. Carol moved to follow after him, but she stopped suddenly after Ed had made it through the front door. She turned toward Daryl.

"Ed's getting a promotion," Carol said quietly. "We, um, we were celebrating." There was nothing happy in her eyes or her voice, and Daryl took a step toward her. "He's, um, he's moving us to California, and we're selling the house." She choked on the last couple of words, and Daryl took another step toward her.

"You sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine," she said with a shrug. "This is good for Ed."

"He get drunk like that a lot?" Daryl asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Please," she said quietly. "Don't." She started for the house again, and Daryl called out once more.

"Hey." She froze with her back to him, just as the door opened and Ed stepped back out.

"You comin' in or you gonna stand out there all night like a goddamned lawn ornament?" Ed hollered? Carol looked down.

"Hey," Daryl whispered. "Don't turn around. Just…if he's hurtin' you. If he's threatenin' you…just give me somethin'. I can help you. Just…nod or somethin'." Carol hesitated then, shrugging her shoulder just a little bit.

"I'm fine, Mr. Dixon," she said shortly. "Good night." And with that, she turned to join her husband in the house, and Daryl stared after them for only a moment before returning to his porch to finish his beer. As he drank, he pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Hey," he murmured when the line picked up. "It's Dixon. Yeah. I need some information. Yeah. A guy named Peletier. Uh, yeah, hold on." He moved into the house and quickly looked through the phone book. "P-E-L-E-T-I-E-R. First name Ed. Maybe Edward. Yeah. Records. Arrests. Anything I can use against this son of a bitch. Ok. Thanks, man. Yeah. I owe ya one."

...

"Mom?" Sophia asked as she sat on the porch with her backpack in her lap and Kirby's leash in one hand.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Do we have to go?"

"Honey," Carol said quietly, "it's a good thing. This job?"

"I don't want to go," she said quietly. "My friends are here."

"You can make new friends," Carol offered, sitting down on the porch beside her little girl.

"I don't want new friends. I want the friends I have here. I want to be here. Why can't he go? He doesn't like us anyway." Sophia looked away, reaching down to pat Kirby's head.

"Honey, that isn't so. He loves us."

"Doesn't seem like it," Sophia murmured. "He's mean to you, and he doesn't even talk to me. He doesn't play with me like he used to. He's always yelling, and I hear him—" She stopped abruptly and Carol felt her heart jump into her chest.

"Hear him what?" Carol asked softly, pulling her arm around Sophia's shoulders. Sophia flinched and shook her head. "Honey, it's ok."

"No it's not!" Sophia cried out, breaking down in tears. "I hear him hitting you in the middle of the night. You think I'm sleeping, but I'm not. He yells at you, and you cry, and he breaks things, and I hate him. I hate him, mama. I don't want to go anywhere with him. Please don't make me go. Please!" Sophia turned, and Carol swallowed a lump in her throat, pulling her arms tight around her daughter. "Please don't make me go. Please." Sophia began to sob against Carol's chest, and Carol closed her eyes, a few tears slipping down her cheeks as she held her little girl.

 _You do it for her._

"It's gonna be ok," Carol whispered. "Hey. Hey, look at me." She tilted Sophia's chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. She wiped at her little girl's cheeks with her thumbs and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Everything's going to be ok. You trust me?" Sophia sniffled and nodded her head. "Good." Carol put on her bravest smile and made sure Sophia saw it. "Everything's gonna be ok. I promise you, sweetheart. I'll make it ok."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 _Carol's fingers curled around the crib railing as she peered down at her sleeping girl. She placed one hand against her own cheek. The skin was had long since cooled since he'd hit her, and it was tender to the touch beneath the small purplish brown blemish he'd left her with. She felt a tear slip down her cheek when she heard the front door open downstairs._

 _"Carol? Darlin'?" His voice was as soft and warm as honey on a summer day, and Carol felt her pulse begin to race as she heard his footsteps on the stairs. She tightened her grip on the crib railing, remembering her promise to herself when she got out of bed that morning. She wasn't the kind of woman that got pushed around by her husband. She wasn't the kind of mother that let her daughter grow up in that kind of environment. She couldn't be. And that was why she had her bags packed and waiting at the top of the stairs._

 _When she heard his footsteps stop, she took in a shuddering breath and closed her eyes, waiting. And then the nursery door crept open, and she swallowed hard, closing her eyes and trying to focus on her breathing. She just had to keep breathing._

 _"What's this bag packed out here for?" he asked, moving up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders, thumb grazing over her neck where her heartbeat thrummed like a hummingbird's wings. "You going somewhere, honey?"_

 _"I…I just thought…" Her words tasted like poison on her tongue, and she looked down at her sweet, sleeping daughter, her hope, her future._

 _"I thought we were past last night," he said softly. "I'm sorry, honey. You gotta believe me." Carol gripped the rail a little harder. "Where you gonna go? Back to that shithole apartment with that whore? Sell yourself to buy Sophia some diapers? I won't let that happen. What can you give her? Huh?" Carol felt the tears slip down her face, and her shoulders trembled as he squeezed them. "What kind of life can you give her? I got a good job, I own this house, and I can give her anything she needs. Maybe I ain't her real daddy, but my name's on that birth certificate just like yours is. What kind of judge would give an innocent baby over to her whore of a mama when her daddy can give her a life, a roof over her head, a future?" Carol closed her eyes, fingers trembling as she let go of the crib. Her stomach turned when she remembered that Ed had just played golf with one of the most prominent judges in the county last weekend, and they had a dinner date with His Honor in a few days._

 _She took a deep breath and blinked a few times, willing the tears away. She shrugged her shoulders slightly._

 _"I…I thought we could go a-away this w-weekend," she stuttered. "I was about to pack your things, but I w-wanted to wait for you. I w-wanted to make sure you'd go." She felt his nose on the back of her head as he nuzzled her, and a chill ran down her spine. She choked back the self-loathing she felt in that moment, because as much of a bastard as he was, she knew he was right. What could she give Sophia? If she left, where would she go? The only place she knew was Andrea's, and even Andrea knew that was no place for a baby. She and Sophia had nothing and nobody. Only Ed._

...

"Nothing?" Daryl asked.

"Not a thing. Son of a bitch's record's cleaner than a monk's dick," the voice on the other line muttered. "And listen to this: He's donated money to the campaigns of several city officials. He was a pretty big contributor to at least two judges, the mayor and the fuckin' D.A."

"Christ," Daryl muttered. "So basically he's got 'em eatin' outta his hand."

"Basically. Which means if he is doin' any shady shit, they're gonna back his ass up unless there's some pretty damned concrete evidence. Basically, you're gonna have to get this guy on camera doin' whatever shit he's doin'. No way in hell they'll be caught dead backin' him up then."

"Thanks," Daryl muttered.

"We even now?" the voice asked. Daryl snorted.

"Nah, I think you still owe me for that shit that went down at Axel's last week. Can't say I been in a barroom fight in a long while, so thanks for that."

"Hey, man, just keeping you on your toes. Don't want you getting on a high horse with that new promotion you got yourself there."

"Yeah, well, it ain't all it's cracked up to be," Daryl muttered. He saw out of the corner of his eye as the front door of the Peletier house swung open, and he moved toward the window. "Gotta go. Thanks, bro."

"Stay safe, Daryl," the voice replied. "Lord knows it's killin' season out there. Another day another murder out there."

"Don't remind me. Later." Daryl ended the call and shoved his cell phone into his pocket, making his way to the window to see the school bus pulling up outside to pick up a few of the neighborhood kids that would gather at the edge of the Peletier drive. Carol stood on the porch waving her daughter off to school. She wore a long-sleeved shirt, even in the summer, and he felt his gut tighten when he saw how she wore a scarf around her neck.

He remembered his mother wearing pants in the dead of summer, because she didn't want people staring at her bruises at the grocery store. He remembered many times when she'd just passed out from heat exhaustion, and he could remember pressing a cool cloth to her forehead as she swallowed down another pill to take away the pain.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he saw her step off the porch and start crossing the yard toward his house. His throat tightened, and he ran his fingers through his hair. The back of his neck felt hot as he started to the front door. Carol looked over her shoulder as she walked up the sidewalk, and when she looked up to meet his gaze, she hesitated before stepping up onto the porch.

"Mornin'," he said quietly, making no sudden movements, because she looked like she might scamper off should he even step toward her.

"Morning," she said quietly, stepping toward the screen door. They stood there, staring each other down for a moment, as if neither one of them knew exactly what to say next.

"You wanna come in?"

"I shouldn't," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

"I can come outside," he offered. Carol looked over her shoulder again, squinting into the sunlight, peering around as if to make sure nobody was watching. When she said nothing, he opened the door, and she took a step in his direction. He let her in, and she stepped inside, ducking her head slightly and jumping as the screen door snapped shut behind her. "Can I get you somethin'? Some coffee?"

"No, I'm…I'm not staying. I just wanted to…" Carol hesitated, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold. "Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it, but you shouldn't get involved." Daryl narrowed his eyes at her.

"That mean it's true? He hurts you?"

"Please," Carol said quietly.

"You ain't denyin' it. He hurts you? He hurt your girl?"

"No. He wouldn't hurt her," Carol said quickly, snapping her gaze up toward his sharply. "Look, you just have to…you have to stay out of it. I appreciate what you did last night. I do. I…I just need…I need you to stop. My family is fine. You don't understand. And I don't need help." She looked away, proving that she didn't even believe her own words.

"You can't accept help when it's bein' offered to you?"

"What can you possibly help me with?" Carol asked.

"Take off your scarf," Daryl said quietly.

"What?"

"Take your scarf off. Prove you don't need help. You prove you don't need help, and I'll never offer it again." Carol flinched and took a step back.

"I don't have to prove anything to you."

"Yeah. You just wear long sleeves and a scarf on a 80 degree day, 'cause it looks nice?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you!" she shot back, anger rising up in her voice. "You don't know anything about my family. It doesn't matter what you think, because…"

"If it don't matter what I think, why the hell are you here?" he asked. "Huh? You looked scared to death to drive that car yesterday, and now you're standin' here in my house sayin' it don't matter what I think, even though you came all the way over here to tell me to stop worryin'? Let me tell you somethin', lady, I've been here before." Carol took another step back, watching as the anger flashed in Daryl's eyes. But he wasn't angry at her. He moved away from her instead of toward her, looked out the window instead of pushing his fist into the wall. He leaned against the window sill and shook his head.

"I wish some stranger had offered to help my mama. I remember she used to wear jeans all summer long. Long sleeves, too. Couldn't show nobody the bruises from when my daddy came home stinkin' drunk and started smackin' her around. See, my mama found help in a bottle of pills. She'd take a pill for the pain, tell me it wasn't anything to cry about. And then she'd pass out at the grocery store on a hundred degree day, 'cause she was too goddamned hot wearin' all them clothes to cover up the way he hurt her."

"Stop," Carol choked out. "Please." Tears were in her eyes now, and he realized he'd gone too far. He was shaking, but he realized that she was too.

"Shit," he murmured. "M'sorry. Carol…" He closed his eyes tightly, lungs burning as he willed himself to calm down.

"You don't know anything about me," she murmured, choking back tears. "You don't know the first thing about me, and maybe if you did, you wouldn't be so quick to help me." He looked up at her then, wanting to ask her what that meant, but when he saw the look on her face, the realization that she'd said more than she'd wanted to say, he knew not to push her. "Who are you, Daryl Dixon? What makes you think you could help me?"

"I'm…I…I know people," he stammered. "I could get you help. You just gotta trust me." Carol choked out a laugh and shook her head.

"Nobody can help me." He stepped toward her then.

"You just gotta let me try," he offered. "I can help."

"I need you to stop," she said, shaking her head. "Please just leave my family alone." She turned then and fled, letting the screen door slam behind her. Daryl growled in frustration, moving to the door to watch her run off. He knew women like her. His mama had been too far gone to help, but Carol wasn't there yet. He could help her. She just had to stop letting her fear get in the way.

He pulled his phone back out and jabbed at the screen before putting the phone back to his ear.

"Yeah. It's me again. I might need you."

"What for?" the voice asked. "What're you getting into, brother?"

"I just need to know you'll be there if I get too deep in this shit. I'm gonna need some backup."

"You're not planning to kill somebody are you?" he snorted. Daryl said nothing. " Shit. Daryl. I don't know about this."

"We been through a lot of shit together," Daryl murmured. "And I've had your back more times than I can count. Goes both ways. You been there for me. I just gotta know that if the shit hits the fan, I've got somebody at my back."

"You know you do. But don't do something stupid. You hear me?"

"Can't make no promises." Daryl ended the call and tossed his phone aside, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Somebody had to help her if she wasn't going to help herself.

...

Carol sobbed as she leaned against the bathroom sink, choking and gasping for breath as she looked up at her tear-stained face, red with embarrassment and disgust with herself. She tore the scarf away from her neck, revealing the bruises from where he'd choked her last night. She slid the shirt off of her body, revealing the old bruises along with fresh ones where he'd grabbed her arms, yanking her around the bedroom last night. She'd thought she was going to die. She'd honestly thought he was going to kill her. And now she had a stranger offering to help her, and all she wanted to do was tell him yes and let him.

 _"I don't want go anywhere with him! Please don't make me go! Please!"_

How had it gotten this bad? Her daughter knew. Her daughter knew what was happening, and all of this time, she'd thought, no, she'd told herself that Sophia was innocent of it all, unaware of who Ed really was. But when it came down to it, maybe she was hurting Sophia more now than she'd ever thought possible.

Carol felt her throat tighten and her stomach cramp, and before she knew what hit her, she was tearing herself away from the sink and heaving over the toilet bowl, throwing up as thick, hot tears ran down her face.

She flushed when she was finished, and she sat back against the wall, sobbing into her hands as she felt like her world was closing in around her. It wasn't long before Kirby started barking downstairs, and Carol quickly scrambled, pulling her shirt back on, not bothering with the scarf. She ran the tap, filling her hands with cold water, splashing it over her face and patting herself dry with a towel.

When she got downstairs, she didn't even look to see who was at the door. She knew. She took a deep breath and urged Kirby to be quiet and settle down, which he did, whimpering as he looked up at her in her state of upset.

When she opened the door, Daryl stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets, his hair swept back and out of his eyes. Carol opened the door a little further, letting the sunlight settle over her bruised neck. As Daryl's gaze lingered there, she felt more exposed than she'd never felt in her entire life.

"Christ," he murmured, dropping his gaze to his feet for just a moment before swallowing hard and looking back up into her eyes.

"I don't know what to do, Daryl," she whimpered, breaking down again as she felt her knees begin to buckle. He reached out, catching her and helping her stand, and then he walked her back into the house and shut the door behind them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _"Laura Simms?" Carol peeked over her sunglasses as the social worker stood by the doorway with a clipboard in her hand. Carol shook as she stood up, adjusting her purse delicately on her sore shoulder. She followed the woman down a short corridor and into a stuffy office that smelled like cinnamon and dust. The name plate on the desk said Josephine Greene, and she was a pleasant-looking woman with graying reddish blonde hair._

 _"Thank you for seeing me," Carol said quietly._

 _"Mrs. Simms, please have a seat." Carol sat, and the woman moved to sit behind the desk. "You sounded urgent in your phone call."_

 _"I don't know what to do," she said quietly, fingers tapping anxiously on the desktop._

 _"Why don't we just start with why you've come here."_

 _"My husband…he beats me," Carol choked out. "It's been happening for…for a long time. Years. My little girl? She's five, and she doesn't know what's happening. But I'm scared for her. I'm scared for me. And I don't know what to do."_

 _"Mrs. Simms, haven't you gone to the police?" Mrs. Greene asked. "They could help you."_

 _"Please," Carol murmured, holding her hand up. "My husband is a powerful man, Mrs. Greene. It took a lot for me to even come in here today. I just need to know my options. What can I do?"_

 _"Honey," the woman said quietly, taking off her glasses. "Um, could you shut that door, please?" Carol nodded, moving to shut the door. "Your name isn't really Simms, is it?"_

 _"It's not even Laura," Carol said quietly. "I'm terrified. And he's so different. Some days, he's loving and kind, and then he'll just turn. I'm afraid he'll hurt my little girl one day, and I just…I can't stand to think about it." She trembled, swallowing hard as the woman cast a sympathetic glance in her direction._

 _"Honey, if you can't go to the police…what about a women's shelter?"_

 _"Do you really think he couldn't find me there? It would be the first place he'd look." Carol swallowed hard. "Ma'am, I'm gonna be honest with you. I…I was a prostitute when I met him. He was a client." She sighed heavily. "He's not even the father of my daughter, but he needed a wife, a family to make him look good in the eyes of his colleagues, his boss. It was something good for both of us, you know?" Her lower lip trembled. "He saved me. And he reminds me of that every time he beats me, how he saved me. Like I'm supposed to be grateful when he's hurting me, like I should accept it, because I could always be living…that life."_

 _"Oh, honey," Josephine murmured, shaking her head. "What about family?"_

 _"Dead," Carol replied quietly. "I don't have anybody. Just my girl. And I'd do anything to keep her safe. I…I think about killing him, sometimes." She let a tear slip down her cheek. "But I know that wouldn't…and I couldn't do that to my girl." Josephine shifted uncomfortably in her seat._

 _"Honey, I wish I knew what to tell you. If you're afraid to go to the police, and you don't have anywhere to go, why don't you just leave him? Leave it to the courts."_

 _"And let him take my girl?" Carol asked. She blinked back the tears. "It'll be his word against mine, right? And what do I have to show for myself? A past as a prostitute, no college education?"_

 _"You could get into a work program, and…"_

 _"And in the meantime? He has money. He'll get her. He'll get my girl, and he'll hurt her. I just…I know he'll hurt her just to hurt me." Carol stood then._

 _"Ma'am."_

 _"I don't have any choices. I have no options, do I?" The woman gave her a sad frown and stood._

 _"Honey, this is off the record," Josephine murmured, walking around the desk and putting her hands on Carol's shoulders. "If it was me? I'd take that little girl, and I'd run as far away as your legs'll take you." Carol trembled at her words, and her shoulders slumped. "You can make it back from anything, honey. You can. You just have to believe you can."_

...

You can put him away," he said softly, gently turning her chin from side to side as she trembled under his touch. He was checking out the very distinct bruises on her neck. Ed had clearly held her tightly for quite some time. She hadn't even come out and admitted anything yet, but he knew. She didn't have to say it.

"Ed found me at a very…dark time in my life," Carol said softly. "I could lose Sophia. I could…"

"No judge is ever gonna give that bastard custody if he knows what Ed did to you."

"You don't know Ed," Carol sniffled, wiping at her eyes as she shrugged away from Daryl's touch. He moved his hands to his lap and just sat there across from her. She sat on the couch, and he sat on the matching footrest. "Ed's friends with judges, lawyers, city officials." Daryl waited patiently, not willing to reveal that he already knew that. "Sophia…he could take her away from me. And he would do it just to hurt me. And then she'd be stuck with him." She blinked back her tears.

"So what's the answer?" Daryl asked. "Hmm? You just gonna let him hurt you like this?"

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him as she brushed the tears away. Daryl opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come. He cleared his throat, shaking his head and looking away.

"Ain't right, him doin' this to ya. Nobody deserves that."

"When I met Ed, I thought he was my ticket out of…out of a life I never imagined for myself," she admitted, leaning her head back against a pillow. "It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. And I figured I could love him, you know? He could be charming and sweet, and he didn't hurt me. Not at first. It was only after Sophia that he…and I just…I froze. I didn't know what to do, didn't know what to think. And I just kept telling myself that I was doing this for Sophia, so she could have the kind of life I never got to have. " She shook her head. "Somewhere along the line, I don't know it was me convincing myself or him convincing me that I couldn't do it alone, and if I wanted a future for Sophia, I'd stay. And I did. And I took it. And then today Sophia tells me that she's known, and I just…she broke my heart. My daughter looked at me and told me she doesn't want to go with her father, because she knows how bad things are, and she's afraid for herself and for me. And I hate him. But I don't have a choice."

"You got a choice," Daryl insisted.

"No, I don't," she murmured.

"That's just 'cause he's convinced you. You said it yourself."

"But it's true. It's true that I can't do this! I hate Ed. I hate my husband, but if I leave, it'll be…it…" She suddenly realized she'd said far too much than she'd ever intended to say. At the end of the day, no matter what she said or how brave she thought she could be, the only thing that mattered was Sophia. She couldn't lose her.

She stood quickly, moving toward the front door, standing back to give him room.

"You have to go. You need to go. Please get out."

He stood slowly from the footrest and moved toward the door.

With a shake of his head he moved toward her.

"You're makin' a mistake."

"It's my mistake to make," she replied, blinking back the tears. "Just go, Daryl." And he walked out, turning just before she shut the door. He put his foot in the doorway to stop it, and Carol let out a little whimper.

"Don't do this," he murmured. "You're stronger than you think." Carol's eyes met his for the briefest of moments. Blue on blue.

"Whoever you think I am, you're wrong." And then she promptly shut the door in his face.

...

Daryl stood on the doorstep, breath burning in his lungs as he knocked with no answer. He could hear her crying on the other side of the door, and all he could do was press his hand against the strong, oak door and pray she'd have a change of heart.

 _You don't owe this woman shit. She ain't nothin' to you._

His pulse pounded in his temples as memories of his mother clouded his thoughts, memories of being afraid to go to sleep at night, memories of finding her lying on the floor in the middle night, barely conscious. He growled in frustration, pulling himself away from the door and starting down the porch.

He heard the squeal of brakes at the end of the street, and he looked up just as he crossed into his own yard to see Ed Peletier glaring at him from behind the wheel of his car. Daryl tasted bile in the back of his throat, and he reached instinctively to his hip, finding nothing there to grasp.

 _Ain't your problem. Don't get involved. She don't want your help. If she's that stupid, just leave her the hell alone! You know better than to help someone who don't want help._

He turned then, walking up the footpath to his house, listening to the crunch of leaves and pebbles under the tires of Peletier's car as he turned into the drive.

 _The hell is he doin' home so soon? He comin' home to hit her some more?_

He opened the door and let the screen slam shut behind him, tearing down the hallway to his bedroom.

 _Don't think about it. She's a grown woman. Can take care of herself better'n Mama ever could. Just leave her be. You offered to help and she shut you out._

He stepped over unopened moving boxes, kneeling on the floor next to his bed. He felt around underneath until he came across a locked box. He heaved the heavy thing up onto the bed, quickly rolling his fingers over the combination lock. The numbers were blurry, but he quickly opened it, taking out the gun inside. He checked the chamber. Fully loaded. Safety off.

She knelt there on the floor, breathing hard as he heard the sound of smashing glass through his open bedroom window.

 _He's gonna kill her. He's gonna kill her this time._

...

"Ed! Stop!" Carol screamed, tearing down the hallway, losing her footing and stumbling to the floor. Ed was on her, pulling her by the feet, as she scraped her nails against the hardwood floor.

"This what happens when I leave? You bring the neighbor over? You let him fuck you? Huh?" Ed seethed, dragging her toward the stairs. Carol screamed in pain as she gripped the rug for purchase as he tugged at her ankles. "You send Sophia off to school and then it's a free for all for whoever wants it? How many more there been, darlin'? Nothin' but the same whore you always been." He let go of her, and her foot crashed to the floor with a stinging blow. She cried out, laying back, struggling for breath as she stared up at him.

"Ed, stop!" she screamed. "Stop!" And to her surprise, he did. He knelt down next to her, putting his hand against her cheek.

"You want me to kill you, don't you? Hmm?" he asked. He smirked and shook his head.

"I know what you want. I know what you're playing at, and honey, I'm smarter than you," he growled. "I'm gonna make it so much worse for you. You're gonna beg me to kill you, and you're gonna mean it." He pulled her to her feet.

Carol stumbled forward then, and she kept her eyes on him, something deep down stirring in her, coming to life.

"I hate you," she rasped. "You want to kill me? Go ahead, because that just means you'll _never_ see Sophia again. She'll be better off. Maybe better off without me, too. She can start over. She's strong." Her eyes narrowed at him. "But you? You're pathetic. You…" She tasted blood on her lip, and she wiped it away. "You make others feel week so you can be strong. You're a coward." And then she lunged at him, scraping her nails across his neck, digging in hard until she could smell the blood. He groaned in pain, pushing back on her shoulders as she stumbled back and hit her head against the wall. She cried out in pain, and he was on her again, but she kicked at him, then, pulling strength from somewhere deep inside she'd never known before. Something had sparked a flame, and now she couldn't control it.

"I hate you!" she screamed, beating her fists against his chest and his face. "I hate you!"

Ed grabbed her by the back of the head then, fingers tugging at her hair. She cried out, reaching back to scratch her nails over his knuckles. He hissed in pain but kept his grip, dragging her toward the stairs. He started to push her toward the step, but she threw her leg out, tripping him so that he fell over her. She groaned as she fell against the steps, the edges pushing hard against her back. She felt the air leave her lungs in that moment, as Ed crawled over her, hands on her neck again.

And then everything seemed to move in slow motion. She heard Kirby yipping and barking, and she felt Ed moving as he tried to kick the dog away as it bit at his ankle. She heard a whimper, and then the skittering of nails against the wooden floor as Kirby sought refuge from a distance but continued barking, unharmed.

She sucked in a sharp breath just before his fingers closed around her throat. And then she heard it. The click of steel against steel. And then Ed froze.

"Atlanta PD! Get your goddamned hands off of her and turn around. Hands on your head." Ed turned then, pulling himself off of Carol and standing with his hands in the air as Daryl Dixon stood there with his gun in one hand and a his wallet flipped open in the other. Inside was a shining silver badge from the Atlanta Police Department.

Carol let out a whimper of relief as Ed moved away from her.

"Get on the ground."

"Fuck you," Ed snorted, stepping toward Daryl. Daryl put his wallet away and kept both hands steady on his gun.

"Give me a reason," Daryl bit out. "Come at me. Give me one goddamned reason, and I'll put a bullet in your gut, I swear to God." Carol was whimpering, struggling to stand. "Stay down." But she gripped the banister and pulled herself up.

"Daryl…" Her eyes were wide, voice shaking with fear. Just as Daryl's gaze moved to her, Ed took the chance to lunge at him. Thankfully, Daryl was quick on his feet and stepped out of the way just in time for Ed to fall to the ground. As Ed fell, Daryl quickly hit him in the back of the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him out cold.

"Oh my God. Oh God. What did you do?" Carol sobbed. "What did you do?!"

"C'mon," Daryl murmured, stepping toward her, gently easing her down to sit on the stair steps. "It's ok now. Gonna call for backup, and…"

"You're a cop?"

"Undercover," he murmured.

"So you knew…? About Ed? About me?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "You weren't the case at all." Carol swooned a little, holding her head in her hands. "Whoa. Hey. C'mere." He let her lean against him for a moment. "M'gonna get you outta here."

"Daryl, you can't do this. You can't put him in jail." Carol sat up then, standing, gripping the banister again.

"He's gonna kill you. You know it. Just a matter of time." His voice was shaky now, but calm. Carol took a deep breath and asked the question she still needed the answer to.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" He took a step toward her then, chewing his lip before swallowing the lump in his throat.

"'Cause I know what it feels like to watch yer whole life fall apart and not be able to do a goddamned thing about it." He swallowed hard, holstering his gun. He looked down and shook his head. "I grew up in a trailer park, and my daddy was a drunk. He beat my mama, and she took pills to deal with it. It ain't the kind of life for a kid. But neither is this one. Your kid? She seems like a smart kid. M'willin' to bet she knows more than ya think."

"She does," Carol said quietly, still trying to gain her composure; trying to catch her breath.

"Don't matter if you try to protect her. It's still gonna fuck her up. You know, I had a couple of choices. I could beat the shit out of my daddy and end up in juvie 'til they threw me out on the street, or I could keep my head down and get the hell outta there the second I was old enough."

"What did you do?" Carol asked softly.

"Not enough," Daryl murmured. "I tried fightin' him. I did. But he just gave it to her worse. And she wouldn't leave him. I remember beggin' her. And I knew he was gonna kill her. Was just a matter of time, but she stayed with him, 'cause she said she didn't have a choice. She couldn't do it on her own. Shit, I remember bein' fifteen and shovelin' out a stalls at a farm for ten bucks a day, just tryin' to save money to get her to leave him." Carol's eyes welled with tears as he talked. "I was the kid that sat by and watched my mama slowly kill herself by stayin' with him."

"What happened to her?" Carol asked, not sure she even wanted to know.

"I turned eighteen about a month after I graduated high school. Barely graduated, but I made it. I packed up this piece of shit car I bought usin' that stall shovelin' money, and I told my mama we were leavin'. She turns to me and says 'I ain't goin' nowhere and leavin' your daddy all alone. He'll drink himself to death or worse." He scoffed, throat hot like ash as he pushed through the memory. "I told her she had to come with me, 'cause she was gonna die if she stayed. She said she'd die without him." He looked up to meet Carol's gaze. Never in his entire life had he told another person this, but seeing her, knowing she was going through something so similar and that her daughter was in a very similar situation made him break the old wounds open and let them bleed. "I left. Started workin' shit jobs to keep a roof over my head. Sent her money every week. Asked her every time to come stay with me. And she wouldn't. Then one day, the cops showed up at my door and told me she was dead. Overdose. And my sumbitch daddy weren't nowhere to be found."

"Daryl, I'm so sorry," Carol murmured, wiping at her eyes again. "I'm so sorry you went through that."

"I ain't tellin' you this just to hear myself talk," Daryl said quietly. "I don't expect ya to trust me. I know you been hurt too much to do that right now. I know it seems like everything's shit, and there ain't no way out of it. But that's 'cause he wants ya to feel that way. Wants ya to feel like ya ain't worth nothin', 'cause it keeps you under his thumb. He loses you, he loses his power over you."

"You don't understand," Carol murmured. She watched as Daryl knelt on the floor and checked Ed's pulse.

"Make me understand." Carol looked away, and Daryl sighed heavily. "Don't have to trust me. Don't have to like me. You can hate me if you want, but look at me. Look at me and tell me you wanna spend the rest of your life livin' like this with your kid sleepin' in the next room, scared to even get outta bed to get a drink of water, 'cause she's afraid her daddy'll come after her, too. Tell me you wanna live like that, and I'll leave you alone." He motioned toward the broken vase on the hallway floor. "Tell me you wanna live the rest of your life knowin' he could come home and do this shit all over again."

"It's not that simple. Ed knows people. He could call in favors. If I turned him in, he'd kill me. And then Sophia would have…I just can't, Daryl. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to…to do." She choked out a sob then, covering her face with her hands. Daryl swallowed hard, lowering his voice.

"You got bruises. And my word as the arrestin' officer. That's all you need," he insisted. She shook her head again.

"No," she insisted. "Daryl, you don't know him like I do. He'll turn it around. He'll use my past against me…and I just…I just can't risk Sophia being in danger. You're a cop. You know the drill. A man beats on a woman, and he gets some jail time, right ? But what happens when…when he gets out? He goes back to beating on her, right? He'll get out, and he'll come after us. I come from nothing. Do you understand? Ed pulled me out of a life that…that I don't want Sophia to ever even have to think about. Where do I go? What do I do?"

"So the answer's to stay with him? Open your eyes! He's gonna kill you one way or the other, and Sophia's still gonna be stuck with him! Give me somethin', Carol. Give me somethin', and I can help you." She shook her head, and she stepped off of the stairs.

"I was a prostitute!" she choked out, tears streaming down her face as Daryl took a step back, taking it all in. "Ok? He pulled me off the street. I was pregnant and a step away from being homeless, and he gave me a home. He gave me a life, and he made sure Sophia didn't want for anything. I never counted on…I never counted on _this_." She motioned toward Ed's unconscious body on the floor. "And he'll use it against me. He'll take her from me. And he'll hurt her." And then she looked up at Daryl, expecting disgust, expecting to see something in his eyes that she often saw in Ed's, but it wasn't there. But before she could give him a chance to say anything, she moved away, motioning toward the door.

"Carol…"

"You should go. He'll be awake soon. Groggy. I can make him think it was all in his head. I can try…"

"I ain't leavin' you alone with him," Daryl growled, as Ed began to stir.

"You don't know me," Carol whimpered, shrugging away from him when he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. He drew his hand back and let his hands fall to his side in surrender.

"Don't do this," Daryl said, shaking his head, standing and moving toward her.

"You're a stranger. You should leave. Just forget about this. Forget everything I said and just…just…" And then the fire was back in his eyes, and he took a step toward her. He knew he was about to risk everything, his job, his freedom even, but he was in this now, and there was no way in hell he was going to let her give up without a fight. "Daryl, please…"

"No. I ain't leavin' you. The second I walk out that door, he'll kill you. So either you walk out that door with me right now, or he walks out that door in handcuffs. What's it gonna be?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Is there anywhere you can go? Anywhere you can think of? Just to hide out 'til we get some shit straightened out?" Daryl asked, as he held onto Kirby's leash as they sat on Daryl's front porch. Carol swallowed hard, her mind immediately flashing back to Andrea's place, though that was a whole lifetime ago, and if Andrea was lucky, she wasn't there anymore. And there was no way that she wanted Sophia to be around that kind of life.

"No," Carol murmured, holding her throbbing head in her hands. "What are we doing? What are _you_ doing? You should just walk away. Let me go. I can take Sophia, and we'll…"

"I ain't lettin' you outta my sight if that asshole ain't goin' to jail. My job is to keep folks safe from scum like him, and I'm gonna keep you safe. Don't worry about me." Carol looked up at him, eyes damp with tears, and she choked back a sob.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't," he replied, shaking his head. "Don't. Alright? This is _my_ decision. I'm gonna help you fight him. I'm gonna help you get away, get some distance from him. You gotta heal. He almost killed you."

"I'm fine," she gritted out, but he brushed his hand over her shoulder.

"You ain't. And that's ok. You don't gotta pretend with me. I know you ain't ok." Carol shook then, and she buried her face in her hands.

"We need a p-plan," she stuttered. "He'll wake up and…"

"And what? Call the cops? Tell 'em he tried to kill ya, and we escaped? Trust me, he's gonna nurse his wounds and then he's gonna come lookin' for ya, and we wanna be as far away as we can when he sets out." He dug into his pocket for his phone.

"What are you doing? Who are you…"

"Just callin' for a ride. Truck's in the shop, remember? Don't worry. I got a good buddy who's gonna help us out, ok?" Carol looked toward her home, and Kirby nudged her hand with his nose as if to tell her it was ok.

"What…what about your job?"

"They wanted me," he replied. "They'll wait for me."

"You're sure?"

"No, but that ain't what's important right now." Carol shook her head as he helped her stand. "C'mon, let's wait inside." He helped Carol inside, and Kirby sniffed around the hallway while Daryl placed his call. "Hey."

"Hey."

"I need a ride. You think you can do that?"

"Where am I takin' you to?" the man asked on the phone. Daryl glanced at Carol, and he cleared his throat.

"I ain't sure yet, but we'll start at the school and then that little diner downtown. Irma's."

"Alright. You sure about this?"

"Gotta be." Daryl cleared his throat and he ended the call, putting his phone in his pocket. "My friend's on his way. He's gonna take us to get Sophia. You gonna be ok?"

"My clothes…Sophia's things…"

"Don't worry about that. We'll get what we need. Just need to get you outta here."

"Daryl?" Carol asked softly, looking up to meet his gaze. "Nobody's ever done…anything…anything like this for me before. I don't deserve…"

"Stop," he muttered. "Don't." Carol looked away, and he reached out, gently taking her hands in his. "Hey. That woman you used to be? That's you, but that ain't you. She's made you who you are today, and the woman you are today? She's a hell of a lot braver than she thinks she is. She's the bravest woman I ever knew." Carol's eyes flooded with tears, and she took a gasping breath before wiping at her eyes.

"How long have you been a cop?" she asked, swallowing hard as she blinked back tears.

"Seven…no, eight years."

"You said you're undercover?" The corner of Daryl's mouth tugged up in a slight smile, and he shook his head a little.

"Well, I used to be. I mean, I guess I still am. Really just locked up my last target before I moved in. Job was gettin' hooks in a guy who was workin' a few girls on the street downtown Atlanta." He looked away. "I was undercover off and on for a few years. Put away some major players in the drug trade, got some major traffickers—drug and human—put away. Made a lot of enemies. When I moved here? It was 'cause I was movin' up. For me, anyway. Just finished my last case when I moved in. Decided to take some time off. S'posed to get back to it tonight. I was finally gettin' outta the shit jobs. "

"You didn't like being undercover?"

"It was alright," he admitted. "But you risk your life every time you get deep, you know? I got to know some of these sumbitches. They thought of me as a brother, you know? And you learn things about yourself, about these people, and it makes you sick to think that you're so close to this. And when you're in it just enough to make you hate yourself, that's when you lower the boom, and you get your man." He watched as Carol's shoulders slumped.

"So what are you now?"

"Just a cop. Gonna be patrollin' the night shift. But it's a shift most of 'em want, so the pay's good."

"Sounds dangerous," Carol murmured, as she heard the brakes squeal on a car outside. Daryl looked up out the window and nodded.

"That's our guy. You ready?" He watched Carol throw one look out the window toward her house before she stood and nodded her head.

"Now or never, right?"

"We can still call this in. I _should_ call this in. It's my duty," he murmured quietly, keeping his eyes on her so she knew exactly what was at stake here. "But you tell me it's too risky, I'll believe you. You wanna do this? Wanna get away? We're gonna do it my way."

"He has drinks and plays golf with powerful people, Daryl. I don't want you risking anything for me. I told you to leave it alone. You're a cop, it's your duty? Report it. Go ahead. Don't risk anything for me. Just…give me an hour. Give me an hour to get out of town. Then you can call it in, and you don't have to worry about your job. You don't owe me anything. You don't owe my daughter anything. You can back out of this." She was shaking as a knock came to the door. She jumped, and Daryl gently put his hands on her shoulders.

"S'alright," he murmured.

"Daryl, you in there?"

"Yeah. Come in," Daryl called. The screen opened, and the door banged against the frame, and in walked a tall, slender fellow in jeans and a t-shirt. "Carol, this is officer Rick Grimes. We go way back. You can trust him."

"Ma'am," Rick said with a nod in her direction. "Daryl? Can I speak to you a minute?" Daryl nodded before giving Carol a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. He followed Rick into the kitchen, where Rick got close, eyes trained on his. "You sure about this? You know this could be your career, right?"

"I saw what he did to her. I saw the bruises. The man's gonna kill her. It's only a matter of time."

"Why do you care so much? What's in this for you? You're really risking throwing away your whole life for a woman who's too afraid to turn her husband in?"

"She's got a past. She…she's got a past, and you saw yourself he's got his hands in the pockets of folks who can help him beat the system. It ain't just her, man. She's got a little girl that she's scared for. I gotta get her safe, and then I came come back and work on throwin' his ass in jail."

"So you're just gonna help a woman kidnap her own kid?"

"Look, you don't wanna help me, you say so right now. That asshole's gonna be awake and lookin' for her before too long."

"Shit, what'd you do?" Rick groaned, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"He came at me. Didn't have a choice but to knock him out cold."

"You fucked this up, brother," Rick said with a shake of his head.

"I can fix it. Just need time. Just gotta get her safe."

"You sleepin' with her or something?"

"Fuck off," Daryl seethed.

"Look, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it. Why's it matter to you so much? Why do you have to be her knight in shining armor?"

"Look, she's stuck with this guy for almost ten years. This is the first time…I think she trusts me. Or she wants to trust me. And if I stand by and do nothin', and he kills her? I couldn't live with that. I'm in this, and I ain't backin' down 'til I know he ain't gonna hurt her anymore." Rick took another step closer to him, putting his hand on Daryl's shoulder.

"You gotta get your head clear. You're gonna lose your job. Might even be facin' time in jail. You sure you're willin' to risk that for a woman you barely know?" At Daryl's look, Rick shook his head. "Alright, but here's what you're gonna need to do. You get her safe, and then you come back to Atlanta. You talk to the chief. Least that way they'll know why you're doin' this. Then you better damned well come up with a plan to prove this asshole is as dangerous as his wife thinks he is. You got me?" Daryl gave him a little nod. "And you're still sure 'bout this?"

"M'sure."

"Alright. It's your career," Rick said with a shake of his head. "Might even be your life, if this runs too deep."

"So you're out?"

"Hell no," Rick snorted. "Let's get this done."

...

Daryl bent down to say a few words to Rick in thanks as Carol and Sophia waited just outside the diner doors. Sophia held onto Kirby's leash with one hand and the strap of her backpack with the other. Carol kept her in her sight, gaze darting around anxiously as they waited.

When Daryl stood and stepped back, and Rick drove away, Carol took a deep breath, and Daryl nodded in her direction.

"What are we doing here?" she asked quietly.

"Gonna get you two somethin' to eat. Then we're gonna sit down and figure this out."

"Where are we going?" Sophia asked. Carol swallowed hard and looked down at her daughter.

"Away, baby. We might be gone for a while."

"Is daddy coming?" she asked, eyes filled with worry.

"No. He's not coming," Carol replied quietly. Sophia let out a breath she'd been holding, and her whole demeanor seemed to change. She smiled down at Kirby.

"We're going on a trip, boy," Sophia said excitedly. Carol looked back up at Daryl.

"Let's get inside. Get somethin' to eat, then I'm gonna walk to the shop, see if my truck's done." Carol nodded, and she flinched when he put his hand against her back to gently ease her toward the door. He quickly moved his hand, however, and he dropped it to his side, walking behind her and Sophia, who picked up Kirby and held him close.

The moment the door opened, Irma Horvath appeared from the kitchen, eyes wide with surprise to see the sight before her.

"Well, what have we got here?" she asked, wiping her hands on a towel.

"Just need somethin' to eat," Daryl said quietly.

"Sure, come on in," Irma said softly. "Dale!" Dale came walking out of the back. "Make up some burgers and fries for our guests, hmm?" Irma kept her eyes on Carol, noticing the bruises and the way Carol wouldn't make eye contact with her. "You folks come in and sit down." Daryl gently touched Carol's shoulder, and she didn't flinch this time. She walked to the back, hand on Sophia's back, guiding her to a booth.

Irma watched the group, her first patrons of the day, for a just a moment before she moved to the door and locked the deadbolt, reaching up to turn off the neon OPEN sign. Irma was right there at the table just as the three were sitting down, and she had a big pitcher of lemonade.

"Here you go," she murmured softly.

"Just ice water please," Carol said quietly.

"Honey, it's on the house," Irma said softly. "Drink up."

"Thank you," Carol managed to choke out, holding back tears as she took a long sip of the sweet, tart drink.

"I have to go," Sophia said shyly, patting the top of Kirby's head.

"Right down that way, sweetheart," Irma said with a grandmotherly smile. "Ladies room is on the right." Sophia handed Kirby's leash to Carol, and she hopped off of the booth bench and hurried to the back. Irma placed her hand over Carol's on the table. "Honey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Irma," she said quietly.

"You in some kind of trouble?" She looked at Carol, who looked away. Then she looked at Daryl who gave her a tense nod. It was all Irma needed to know.

"We'll have that food out to you in a jiffy." She nodded to Daryl, silently asking him to come with her. He gave her a little nod in understanding before she walked away.

"I'll be right back, alright?" he asked. Carol gave him a nervous nod before taking another sip of lemonade. She turned her focus to Kirby on the bench. Daryl moved over to the counter, where Irma was leaning against it.

"Is it what I thought?" the woman asked quietly, closing her eyes as if bracing herself for the answer.

"Yeah," he murmured. "She's scared. Don't know what to do. Hell, I ain't sure I know what to do. I know what I should do, but she's scared, and it's just gonna make things worse if she don't get outta here for a while."

"Bless her soul," Irma said softly. She swallowed hard and put her hand on Daryl's shoulder. She opened her eyes and stared right into his. "You keep those girls safe, you hear me? You'll look out for them?"

"I will, ma'am."

"Dale and I were never blessed with children, but we see so many people, get to know so many of them. Some of them stand out, and you just…you feel for them. You know? Well, I don't expect you to understand. Maybe when you're older." She smiled sadly. "She's quiet. Private. Hard to get to know. But you just look in her eyes, and you see she's got a whole story to tell. She's got a big heart, a lot of love inside of her, but she doesn't see that she deserves to have just as much love as she carries around inside of her." Daryl felt a lump grow in his throat at the older woman's words. "I'd like to help. Whatever you need to help her? I'd like to help. I've been where she's been." Daryl looked toward the kitchen. "No, not him. Before him. And he doesn't know. I think it would break his heart to know. But I got away. I found the love of my life, and we've been married for forty wonderful years." She blinked back tears. "And I want to help give that lovely young woman the chance to find the same thing."

Daryl blinked a few times, swallowing hard as he watched the smile spread over Irma's face as she looked at Dale over the top of the swinging double doors to the kitchen. She shook her head and let out a shaky breath.

"Ma'am?" he said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For this. Today," he said quietly. "You mind sittin' with her after we eat? I gotta get my truck, and I don't wanna leave her alone."

"Of course," Irma said with a little nod. "Now go have a seat. Keep her company." Irma gave her a little pat on the arm and nodded toward the booth. Daryl nodded and swallowed hard again as his gaze moved to Carol, watching the way the glass of lemonade shook in her hand. "Don't you worry. She'll be alright. She doesn't know it yet. She just needs somebody to show her that."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Daryl held onto Sophia's hand and placed his other hand against her back as he helped her up into the truck. She scooted in next to her mother and patted the bench seat, urging Kirby to jump up. He struggled and failed, and Daryl lifted him in to sit on Sophia's lap. Daryl hopped in and shut the door firmly, just as Irma and Dale stepped up to the curb.

"Thank you for lunch," Carol said softly, leaning forward slightly to get a better glimpse of the kind people who had helped her in more ways than they'd realized that day.

"Here," Dale said quietly, holding his hand out to Daryl. Daryl slowly reached up and took the item Dale offered. It was a single key on a blue carabiner clip keychain and a folded up piece of paper with an address written on it.

"What's this?" Daryl asked, eyeing the item.

"Lake Blackshear. We own a cabin; go up every coupl'a months or so. Just tell the caretaker—he comes around once or twice a week to check on the place—that you're our nephew. Irma's got all kinds of family that uses the place when we're not there. They won't know the difference."

"Yeah, I know where that's at. Been there once when I was fresh outta high school," Daryl said with a nod.

"We can't," Carol said, shaking her head. "That's very kind, but…"

"It's a couple hours away," Irma urged. "It's far enough away that you can put some space between yourself and your problems. Just enough time to figure things out, honey. Just go up there, take as much time as you need."

"That's very kind," Carol said quietly. "But…"

"No buts," Irma insisted. She put her hand on Daryl's shoulder. "You take these girls up there and show them a good time. Let them get their feet wet, have a little fun. And just take a minute to breathe. All of you." Daryl nodded, swallowing hard.

"Thanks," he murmured. "That's real nice'a you. We 'preciate it.

"Just bring the key by when you come back. It's a spare, but it works." Daryl nodded again. They said their quick goodbyes, and Daryl pulled out onto the main drag, heading off out of town.

"We're going to the lake?" Sophia asked softly. Carol glanced at Daryl, who gave her a little nod.

"Yeah, honey," she said softly, giving her a smile. Sophia's face brightened, and she snuggled Kirby close.

"Daddy's not coming, is he?" she asked after a moment, looking up at her mother with worry.

"No, honey. He's not," she promised. With that, Sophia relaxed and leaned her head back against the seat. Shortly before Daryl pulled out onto the busy Interstate, Sophia was sleeping soundly, and Kirby was sleeping soundly on the seat between her and Carol.

...

About an hour into the drive, Carol was fidgeting.

"You need to stop?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"You need to stop?" he asked again. Carol nodded then. "S'alright. Need to stretch my legs a little, too."

"I have some money," Carol said quietly, shifting her purse into her bag. "Um, it's not much, but…" She picked up a small wad of money, the scraps here and there that she'd managed to hide from Ed. "It's about five hundred. I can help with gas."

"Don't need help. Put your money away." He closed his hand over hers, folding the money back into her hand, and she looked down.

"You're sure?"

"We're gonna get you up to the lake. I'll come home, see if I can figure somethin' out, get some evidence on Ed to make sure he ain't gonna come after you."

"You don't have to do all this."

"I spent years doin' undercover work," he assured her. "I can do this. And I can get Rick to help me. We'll make sure he won't hurt you. We'll make sure you don't lose your girl." He pulled off onto an exit and found the closest gas station. He pulled up to the pump and cut the engine before shifting in his seat to dig into his pockets. He produced his cell phone, which he promptly turned off. Next, he produced another cell phone, small and flat.

"Ain't nothin' they can track on this. Most'a these little Interstate gas stations have these prepaid cell phones. I'm gonna give you one, so you can call me if ya need anything. I'll use it to keep in contact with ya when I get back to Atlanta. I wanna keep an eye on Ed, make sure he ain't lookin' for ya. But if he don't come home, I can call ya, get ya outta there. You think you'll be alright by yourself?"

"We'll be fine," Carol murmured, gently pulling her arm around Sophia's shoulders "We'll be just fine."

...

The crunch of gravel under the tires woke Carol, as Daryl pulled up in front of the house bearing the address on the paper Dale had given him.

"We're here?" she asked softly, yawning and blinking her bleary eyes. They felt scratchy, like she'd been awake for entirely too long, though she knew she'd fallen asleep at least an hour ago.

"Looks like this is the place," he murmured, peering out the window toward the quaint, two-story beach house with a deck out back. The steps led down into a grassy yard that gave way to the lake shore.. There were other lake houses, spaced out comfortably this side of the lake. It was quiet, and there were children laughing somewhere.

"Sophia? Sweetie?" Carol offered. Sophia didn't stir.

"Don't wake her. I'll carry her."

"You sure? She gets kind of heavy when she's sleeping," Carol said with a bit of a smile.

"Kid's what, sixty pounds soakin' wet? I got her."

"Thank you," Carol said softly, as Daryl pulled himself out of the truck and gently pulled Sophia into his lap. Carol sat there, and Daryl eyed her.

"You comin'?"

"I'm going to stay out here with Kirby," she said quietly. "I'm sure he needs to go." Kirby whined at the mention of his name, and Daryl nodded.

Carol watched him carry Sophia up to the house, struggle briefly with the key and then disappear inside. When he was inside, she slid out of the truck and let Kirby down to sniff around and do his business. She held onto Kirby's leash, walking him around the back of the house, feeling a chill as the breeze swept over the lake.

She'd always dreamed of a place like this, a place to raise her baby, a place they could have picnics and play in the water. Now, as she stood looking out over the water, she felt the warmth of the sun on her face, and a tension lifted from her shoulders. She felt light, felt the tightness in her chest and shoulders that she hadn't even realized was there just melt away.

She felt something buzz in her pocket and startled, but she quickly realized it was the cell phone Daryl had given her. She quickly fished it out of her slid her finger over the screen to see a text message from Daryl. He'd programmed his untraceable phone number into hers, and she clicked on the message.

 _Just testing. Kid's sleeping on the couch._

Carol smiled a little at that and anxiously tapped her fingers against the hard plastic screen. After a moment, she replied.

 _She'll be hungry when she wakes up. We could go explore. Find food before you have to leave?_

She chewed her lip anxiously as she waited for his reply. It came moments later.

 _Sounds good. Already starving._

Carol put her phone away and led Kirby back to the house after he did his business. She let him off the leash, and he quickly sniffed out Sophia on the couch and settled down to sleep near her, already protective of his human.

Carol found Daryl leaning over the counter in the kitchen, and she furrowed her brows as the sight of him slumped there.

"Daryl? Are you ok?" He startled, straightened and turned to look at her. His face was unreadable, and Carol crept closer to realize there was a small TV on the counter adjacent to the table, and Daryl was watching it with the volume turned down low. There was a special news report flashing across the screen. "What's going on?" Daryl hesitated briefly, as if he was considering jumping in front of the screen to shield her from it.

 _"…shortly after nine this morning. Mr. Peletier claims he came home to see his next door neighbor in what appeared to be a lover's quarrel with his wife. Mr. Peletier claims that he went to intervene. He claims he was knocked unconscious, by his neighbor, and when he came to, his wife and dog were missing, and his daughter had been pulled out of school. At this time, Officer Daryl Dixon with the Atlanta Police Department is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Carol Peletier and her nine-year-old daughter Sophia. More on this developing story at five o'clock."_ A picture of Daryl in an officer's uniform flashed on the screen, followed by an older photo of Carol and Sophia's most recent school picture.

"Oh my God," Carol murmured, hand over her mouth as she stood still next to Daryl. "Oh God." And then Ed's face flashed across the screen in what appeared to be a press conference. Carol recoiled slightly, and she teetered backward. Daryl reached out and steadied her as Ed began to speak.

 _"My entire world fell out from under me this morning. I forgot some important work documents and quickly returned home to get them. When I arrived, I heard yelling from inside the house. I rushed inside to find my wife…I'm sorry." His voice broke, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "My wife was half…half dressed, and she was arguing with Daryl. He was new to the neighborhood, but I've caught my wife coming and going from his house on more than one occasion. I saw Daryl leaving our house once before. I just…I guess I lost it. I went after him, and we fought, and he knocked me out."_

 _"What were they arguing about?"_ the reporter asked from off camera.

 _"I'm not…I don't want to talk about that right now," Ed said quietly. "I've cooperated with the police, given them the full story, but to protect my wife's privacy, I'd rather not talk about her past just yet. I love my wife, and to think that she might have taken our little girl of her own free will…to think she could have planned this with Daryl Dixon…I just can't think about that. I love my wife. I love my daughter. I just want them home safe. Carol, Sophia, if you're watching this, I love you so much, and I want you to come home. Daryl, if you're listening…if you're watching…please just bring them home. Please. Just bring them home. I'm begging you."_ Ed broke down in tears again, covering his face with his hands.

Carol turned away from the television, doubling over a little, hand against her stomach.

"Hey," Daryl murmured. "Hey. It's ok." The press conference cut out, and Daryl quickly turned the television off.

"God, what's he doing?" Carol gasped, as her face grew red and the back of her neck grew hot.

"Come here. Sit down," Daryl offered, pulling out a chair for her. She sat down slowly, and he knelt on the floor, keeping one hand around her wrist, fingers at her pulse point. "Breathe. You gotta breathe."

"I'm so sorry," she choked out. "I'm sorry. You should have left me there. I'm so sorry."

"Stop," Daryl urged. "Stop. Breathe." Carol took a few deep breaths, and Daryl gently eased his hand against her back, helping her lean forward. "Just breathe." When her breathing slowed, she looked up, tears in her eyes.

"We should go back. We should tell them the truth. You were right before. You were right."

"Hey, we ain't goin' back. It's what he wants. We go back now, he'll kill you."

"But we're all over the news! He's lying, and he's going…he's going to tell everybody."

"Tell everybody what?" Daryl asked. Carol choked out a sob, and she shook her head. "Carol? What else's he got on you? You tell me now, 'cause we're gonna have to find a way to fight him. This is gonna get worse 'fore it gets better. Carol." He gently squeezed her hand. "What's he got on you?" Carol took a deep, shaking breath, and she swallowed hard, and then she opened her mouth to speak. But all that came out was a choked sob, and then she was breaking down again. She slumped forward in the chair, nearly toppling out of it, and he caught her, tumbling back against the cabinets. He sat on the linoleum floor with her crumpled in his lap, and he gently rubbed her back and let her cry. Whatever it was, whatever she had to tell him, he knew that could wait. He knew the darkest parts of her. She had laid it all bare. But, right now, she was more broken than he imagined she'd ever been, and the only thing he could do was hold her and be there for her.

She curled against his chest, sobbing into his neck, and he rubbed her back, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the cabinet door, his own pulse thrumming in his ears as he wondered what the hell they'd gotten themselves into and what they hell they were going to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _Carol blinked a few times, the white noise in her head coming to a crescendo before the painful bright light snapped her out of her unconsciousness. The noise in her head finally came to a throbbing mute, and she felt a hand curl around her wrist, fingers pressing firmly. She winced, feeling a dull pain in her chest as she came to._

 _"Mrs. Peletier? Mrs. Peletier, can you hear me?"_

 _"Mmm…what's going on?" she asked, blinking and squinting into the bright light as a small flashlight was flashed from one eye to the other._

 _"My name is Amy. I'm your nurse. Can you tell me your first name?"_

 _"C…Carol," she said wearily._

 _"What year is it?"_

 _"2013," she muttered. "What…"_

 _"What day is it?"_

 _"Fri…Friday."_

 _"Ok. Just relax." Carol realized then, as she tried to bring her hand to her eyes to rub away the exhaustion, she couldn't move her arm. Or the other one. As the shock of being held down snapped her out of her exhaustion, she looked down to see her wrists tied down to a hospital bed._

 _"What's happening?" she asked, panic rising in her voice._

 _"Ma'am, do you remember what happened?"_

 _"No…I…I…what's going on? Where's my daughter?"_

 _"Your daughter's at school, ma'am."_

 _"No. No. She was going to a friend's. Where…"_

 _"It's Monday, Mrs. Peletier. You've been in and out of consciousness for three days now. This is the first we've gotten anything out of you."_

 _"Oh God," Carol murmured, heart thundering in her chest._

 _"Do you remember what happened?"_

 _"I…I took Sophia to school. I was going to take a nap, and I…I don't remember." She sighed in frustration, blinking back the tears that stung her eyes. "I don't…it's fuzzy. I'm just…"_

 _"Give it time. It'll come back to you," the woman said quietly. She pumped something from a needle into the IV line._

 _"What's that?"_

 _"Something to help you relax. It's ok. Just…" Carol felt her head begin to swim, and she took a deep breath. "Just breathe. That's it."_

 _"Tell me what happened," Carol sobbed, hands shaking as the medicine took hold._

 _"Mrs. Peletier," the woman said gently, patting her hand. She looked around anxiously for a moment, as if she knew she wasn't supposed to say what she was about to say. But then she looked back down at Carol and gave her hand another pat, as a sympathetic look crossed her face. "You tried to kill yourself. But don't you worry. You're in good hands here."_

...

"Talk to me," Daryl said gently, as they stepped out onto the deck outside. "Just tell me what you gotta tell me, and we'll figure this out together."

"You pretty much know everything," Carol said quietly, leaning against the railing of the deck. "I was a prostitute. I got pregnant, and I didn't want to raise a baby around that kind of life. I didn't know who the father was, and one of my Johns was Ed." She swallowed hard, bowing her head at the memory. "He needed a family to make himself look good, and I needed to give my daughter a good life. I think I fell in love with him, in a way. I felt safe. He promised me so many things." She shook her head. "And he never hurt me at first. Not until after the baby." She sighed heavily and looked down.

"So that's what you're worried about? You afraid he's gonna tell people about that?"

"I don't care what other people think," Carol replied quickly. "But Sophia? I'm terrified, Daryl."

"She's gonna learn the truth someday."

"And she'll hate me," Carol murmured. "When she learns her whole life is a lie? When she learns that I don't even know who her father is? And the worst part is that she's the result of a paid transaction? No! I don't want her to know. I can't…" She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Alright," Daryl murmured quietly. "'Sides that? Anything else? Drugs?"

"No. I didn't. Well, unless you count pot a couple of times when I was a teenager. But, I mean…nothing like…no." She shook her head. "I tried to keep a clear head." She looked away.

"What're you keepin' from me? What's he gonna use against you?"

"I don't…he…" She swallowed hard and looked down, hands shaking as she fought back the urge to cry again. Daryl gently placed his hand against her cheek, thumb brushing over the bone there as a warmth filled her face. She looked up, blue eyes piercing into his.

"Talk to me."

"I overdosed. Two years ago." She swallowed hard and blinked back the tears. Daryl's mouth pulled in a grim line as he stared at her, and the shame she felt seemed to increase tenfold. Her shoulders slumped, and Daryl cleared his throat.

"Thought you said you wasn't doin' drugs."

"I wasn't! It was…it wasn't that. I was…I was on anxiety medication. Ed told me I had to do something, because I looked to skittish all the time, and people were staring. He took me to some doctor who passed out pills like they were candy." She shook her head at the memory.

"Alright," he said quietly. "I'm listenin'. Just talk to me."

"I wasn't sleeping much, and when I did manage to sleep, I had the most terrible dreams. Dreams about Sophia that…" She cringed at the memory and took a deep breath. "I was losing time. I took one pill and slept for a day and a half. I remember waking up, and Sophia was sitting on the side of my bed, and she just…she looked so scared. And I told her not to worry, that it was just my medicine making me so sleepy." She ran her fingers through her hair. "She had a weekend birthday sleepover with some girls in her class. I remember taking her to the house and dropping her off. I went home and tried to sleep, and I couldn't. I got up, tried to do some chores around the house, tried to watch some TV, tried listening to music, reading, and I just couldn't sleep. I couldn't relax. So I took a pill. Nothing. I took another one. I don't remember anything after that. I just…it was an accident. I just wanted to sleep. But the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital. I'd been out for three days, and I was…" She looked away. "I was in the psych ward. Ed told them that he found me with the bottle half empty, that I tried to kill myself."

"Christ," Daryl murmured.

"And maybe I did," she murmured. "I think…I think I wanted to die. For a minute, I just wanted to die, because I was tired of being afraid, tired of being so anxious that I couldn't function. And for a second…just for a second, I thought things would be better. That Sophia would be better off." The tears spilled then, and she choked back a sob. "Just for a second, I thought it. But I didn't…I didn't want to leave my baby, Daryl. I was so tired. I was so…"

"Ok," Daryl murmured. "Ok." He gently put his hand over hers. "That's it? That's what you think he's gonna do?"

"I know my husband, Daryl," she murmured. "He's going to make himself look good. But when he knows I'm not coming back, that's when he's going to…to start…" She felt sick then, and she lowered her head.

"It's gonna be ok. We're gonna figure this out," Daryl promised. "C'mon. Let's go back inside."

"No," she said quietly. "I don't…I'm not ready yet. I just need a minute." She closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air, shivering as a chill ran up her spine. She turned then and looked at him. "You're right. He wants us to come back. That's exactly what he wants. And that's why we can't. Daryl, you're not leaving, are you?"

"I can go straighten this out," he offered. "But you? You gotta stay here."

"No," she choked out. "Please. If you go, he'll kill you. He will. I know him, Daryl." She shook her head. "Stay here. Stay with us. You've already risked so much. I can't ask you to put yourself in danger to try to fix my mistakes." She looked away. "I still don't understand why you would risk your job for me. I don't…you don't owe me anything." She fixed her gaze on his face, and when he turned his face toward hers, she swallowed hard at the look in his eyes. "After everything I've told you, you still look at me like…like I'm me. Not like I'm her…that girl I used to be."

"That's you," he said quietly, "but that ain't you. You made choices, and you don't got to explain yourself to nobody." Carol looked away, but he reached out, gently tilting her chin to force her gaze up to his again. "Hey. Look at me." She dared to look into his eyes once again, and in that moment, her chest tightened, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. "You did what ya had to do to survive. For you. For your girl. And look at you now. You're the bravest woman I know." She let out a little laugh then, sniffling as a tear trailed down her cheek. She shook her head then.

"I'm a coward," she murmured. "If I was so brave…"

"Takes a pretty strong person to put up with what you did. You survived for Sophia. And she ain't never gonna forget that." Carol took a deep breath and looked down at the deck railing where Daryl's hand now rested just beside hers. She closed her eyes for just a moment, gathering up the courage that she had left, and she curled her fingers around his.

"Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you." Daryl nodded, keeping his eyes on hers, and he watched as the pain seemed to leave her features for just a moment. She sighed, letting go of so much in that moment, and he could see the hope in her eyes, the idea that maybe things could be so much better. And then, just as quickly as the hope was there, it was gone with the ringing of Daryl's untraceable cell phone.

"This'll be Rick," he said quietly. She nodded, moving her hand from his, and he quickly fetched his phone from his pocket. "Yeah."

 _"You watching the news?"_

"What?"

 _"Look, don't tell me where you are. Just—are you watching?"_

"We just saw…"

 _"You near a TV?"_

"Yeah…I just…"

 _"Turn it on. Now."_ The line went dead, and Daryl stared at the phone for a brief moment before he looked up at Carol.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"C'mon. Let's get back inside." He ushered her into the house and back to the little television in the kitchen. She looked at him anxiously as he turned it on and the news report flashed across the screen.

 _"New evidence in the disappearance of Carol Peletier and her young daughter Sophia. A sweep of suspect Daryl Dixon's home found traces of cocaine and other drug paraphanalia. Upon further investigating of the Peletier home, cocaine was found among the possessions of Mrs. Peletier. Mr. Peletier is preparing for comment, but at this time, it is likely that the missing person status for Mrs. Peletier will be upgraded to suspect in the disappearance of nine-year-old Sophia Peletier. At this time, the only comment Mr. Peletier has given us is that he will do whatever it takes to get his daughter home. We will keep our viewers updated as the details become available. Again, here is a picture of Sophia Peletier and her mother Carol. Illegal substances have been found in the Peletier and Dixon homes, drawing a possible connection to the argument Mr. Peletier happened upon and a possible motive for suspect Daryl Dixon's alleged involvement in the disappearance of Mrs. Peletier and her daughter."_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Carol sat on the deck steps with her bare feet on the ground, toes rooting through the grass as dusk settled over Lake Blackshear. She heard the tinkle of ice and turned just in time to see Daryl come up behind her carrying two glasses.

"What's this?" she asked, taking the glass from him and sniffing at the contents.

"Jack on the rocks. Strong, but it's all Dale had in the cabinet."

"I'll take it," Carol muttered, taking a sip of the liquid and coughing as her entire throat burned.

"You ok?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I want to be ok. I just…don't know if I will be."

"You will," Daryl promised. "We're gonna figure this out."

"Yeah, you keep saying that," Carol said quietly, taking another drink as Daryl lit up a cigarette and took a long drag before taking a swig of his own drink. "Did you catch anything else on the news?"

"You sure you wanna hear it?"

"No, but tell me anyway."

"Alright." He cleared his throat, took another drink, another drag, and he put his glass down between them. "Ed still ain't spoke, but now they're sayin' they got reason to believe you were a prostitute." Carol closed her eyes as her pulse pounded in her temples. "They say they got reason to believe you was addicted to drugs and pregnant when you met Ed, that he got you out of that life, that he cleaned you up. Pretty much makin' him sound like a goddamned saint."

"It's not true," she choked out. "I mean…about the drugs, Daryl. That's a lie. He wants them…he wants them to think I would hurt my baby? I'd never hurt my baby, Daryl."

"I know that. You know that."

"We have to do something."

"We're gonna let him talk. The more he talks, the more he lies, the easier it's gonna be for him to get caught in those lies. One thing's sure as hell for sure. We can't go back." He took another puff on his cigarette. "M'gonna go to the store, pick up some groceries."

"I can wake Sophia, and…"

"No. Best if we ain't seen out together right now," Daryl replied quietly. "Folks are gonna be thinkin' about this, and if they see us…"

"Right," Carol murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Ok. You'll be careful?" Daryl licked his lips then, giving her a little nod.

"Nine lives," he promised. She narrowed her eyes a little, cocking her head to the side. "Bein' a cop, I'm pretty sure I've already used up six or seven of 'em. But I'll be careful. Promise." Carol smiled then, the first genuine smile he'd seen out of her all day, and he gently brushed his hand over her shoulder. "Stay inside? I'll be back soon as I can. Might make a run a town or two over, just to be safe."

"Ok," Carol said quietly.

"Keep your phone on. Text me if you need anything. Anything, alright?"

"Ok," she repeated. Daryl stood then, and Carol was surprised when he held his hand out to her. She felt a flutter in her stomach when she took his hand, and he pulled her up to stand in front of him. She felt a little light headed, and she pressed her hand to her forehead.

"You ok?"

"I don't drink much," she admitted. "You're ok to drive?"

"Mmhmm," he murmured, taking one last pull off of his cigarette before flicking it out into the yard. Carol bent down to gather their glasses, and she headed inside, while Daryl grabbed his keys out of his pocket and headed for the truck. He turned to take one last look at the house, finding her standing there, staring back at him from the sliding doors. She held her hand up against the glass in a little wave, and he nodded back to her. And then he was gone.

Carol sighed softly, feeling a tingling in her palm, as if the simplicity of his touch had jumpstarted some electric current inside of her. She shook her head as she made her way to the sink and poured out what was left of their drinks. She chewed her lip anxiously before moving to the living room, where Sophia was still curled up fast asleep on the couch.

It suddenly occurred to Carol that this was probably the first uninterrupted sleep Sophia had had in a long time, and she wasn't about to wake her now.

She gently pulled a throw off of the back of the couch and draped it over Sophia. Kirby lifted his head off of his paws and whined, but he knew all was well when Carol reached down and scratched him behind the ears.

"Good boy," she whispered. She stood then and went back to the kitchen to wash up the drink glasses. All the while, she kept her eye on the TV, conflicted about whether or not she should turn it on. She knew that all she would accomplish would be worrying herself, and there was no need for that. She had Daryl. She had Sophia. And she felt safe. Safer than she could ever remember feeling in her whole damned life. And in a way, that terrified her to her core, because she knew that if Ed had anything to say about it, this feeling wouldn't last forever.

She frowned and dried the last glass, placing it in the cupboard.

She felt unsettled now, like the wrong step would send her crashing down. She'd pulled her child of school and brought her along on this…what was it? An escape? A new beginning? Whatever it was, Ed had the city of Atlanta eating out of the palm of his hand. While he was relying on telling the world about his wife's past and dreaming up lies to make himself look better, she was trying to figure out she'd let her life turn into such a mess.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she jumped, quickly moving to the sliding doors to look out over the lake, where a storm was quickly rolling in. She shivered and locked the door, turning off the lights before retreating to the living room.

It was too quiet. Only the sound of wind beating against the side of the house and thunder rumbling in the distance filled the air, and now Kirby was starting to whine. She made her way over to a recliner by the couch and sat down, propping her feet up. Kirby cocked his head to the side, ears perking up as he looked at her, and she smiled, patting her lap, and he hurried over, scurrying up onto her lap to settle down, to protect her.

"Good boy," she whispered, scratching him behind the ears. He licked her hand then before resting his head against her stomach, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head back, trying not to let the sounds of the storm get to her. And before she knew it, she was fast asleep without a care in the world.

...

A flash of lightning startled Carol out of her sleep. The house was too quiet, save for the whine and whimper of Kirby from somewhere close by. She looked around, desperately searching for the time, but the house was pitch black, and she couldn't even see a foot in front of her face.

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and checked for messages. Nothing. No missed calls. No messages. And it was…two thirty in the morning? Carol felt a panic rise in her chest.

"Sophia?!" She turned the face of the phone toward the couch to find Sophia sitting up, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Mama? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, honey. Go back to sleep," she whispered, getting up from the recliner.

"Why's it so dark? Are we home?"

"The power's out. That's all. Go back to sleep, ok?" Kirby whined again, and Sophia smacked her lips, making a kissing noise to call him. He whined again, and Carol flashed the light toward the door. He was wagging his tail and whining.

"He has to go out," Sophia said softly.

"I'll take him. Go on. Lay back, sweetie. It's not time to wake up." Sophia looked at her mother anxiously before laying back down on the couch. Carol quickly sought out Kirby's leash and hooked it to his collar. "I'll be right back."

She unlocked the front door and hurried out onto the porch with an eager Kirby. The rain had stopped, but remnants of the storm remained. Traveling thunder, the occasional bolt of lightning, the dewy scent on the cool breeze.

"Come on," Carol urged, stepping out into the grass so Kirby could do his business. She held his leash with one hand while she glanced around the lot. No sign of Daryl's truck. Where the hell was he? He should have been back hours ago.

A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach like a lead weight. She heard a car door slam somewhere nearby, and she startled. Kirby nosed through the grass, and she held tight to his leash as she jabbed her thumb against the screen, pulling up Daryl's number and hitting SEND.

It rang and rang until it cut to a computerized voice asking her to leave a message. She groaned in frustration and started to text him instead.

 _Where are you?_

 _Are you ok?_

 _Please call me._

She waited. Kirby finished his business and started rolling around in the damp grass. She gently tugged at his leash, leading him back up to the house. She unhooked him from the leash as soon as she got him inside, and then she shut the door and sat down on the porch step, staring at her phone's dark screen, waiting for a message from him. Nothing.

Her hand shook as panic scorched through her veins, and her heart began to pound in her ears. A cold sweat broke out over her forehead and the back of her neck, and she took a deep breath, leaning her head forward, closing her eyes, focusing on staying calm. She couldn't freak out. Freaking out would only make things worse.

 _Tell me you didn't go back to Atlanta._

Her hand shook as she sent the message, and she suddenly felt like she was going to throw up.

"Mama?" Sophia opened the screen door and stepped outside.

"Sophia, honey…you should sleep."

"I'm all slept out," Sophia said softly. "I'm not tired anymore."

"You want me to tell you a story?"

"Where's Daryl?" the girl asked, sitting down next to her mother.

"He'll be back soon," Carol promised, her voice shaking with uncertainty. "He will." Lightning flashed across the sky again, and the wind began to pick up. "It's gonna storm again." Carol gently rubbed her little girl's back. "Come on. I saw some hot cocoa mix in the cupboard. I'll make some?" Sophia nodded eagerly, and Carol smiled, kissing the top of her daughter's head. They headed inside together, and Carol's hands shook as she made her daughter a cup of hot cocoa. She kept her eye on the window above the sink where she had a clear view of the big tree rooted at the end of the drive. If Daryl came back, she'd see the lights from the truck hit the stump before she heard the crack of gravel under his tires.

She took the hot drink to Sophia before returning to the kitchen. She moved to sit at the table and stared down at the phone, willing it to ring or to light up with a message. But nothing came. She felt her throat tighten, and she felt that cold sweat come back. And then her pulse was pounding, and it felt like a load of bricks had been put on her chest.

She stood, pacing then, wringing her hands together tightly. And then the tears began to burn her eyes. Where was he? How could he just come into her life like he had, a true man of honor, and then just disappear like this? But wasn't that the way things happened? Everyone she'd ever cared about in any way had been taken from her, except Sophia, and even that was an uncertainty now, as she hid in this little lake house with a prepaid cell phone lying dormant on the oak table top.

Her body was trembling now, as she fought with her head and her heart. Her head told her that he would be back. He wasn't leaving. He merely got stuck in traffic. But her heart? Her heart told her that maybe he realized he was in this too deep, maybe he went back to Atlanta to try and fix this himself. Maybe he just disappeared all together, because that's what happened to the good things in her life. They disappeared, if they even existed at all.

And then another fear struck her. He'd drank before he'd left. What if he'd wrecked? What if he was lying somewhere injured? Or dead? What if…no. She shook the thoughts from her head. He'd be back. He had to come back.

She moved back to the living room, where Sophia had fallen back to sleep with a half-drank of cocoa sitting on the inn table. Carol quickly snatched up the cup and went to the kitchen to wash it, pouring the frothy liquid down the sink. She closed her eyes for a moment, and the glass tumbled into the sink, singing loudly against the steel basin. Carol's shoulders slumped then, and she felt the bubble form in her throat. And then she let go, choking out the sob she'd been holding in. And then her shoulders were shaking, and she was sobbing, and she hated herself for being so weak. She remembered those nights holding her dying mother's hand. She'd felt so helpless, but she knew now that it had been the strongest she'd ever been in her life. She'd seen more things, been through more things than many people in this world, and she was still breathing. She was still alive. But she felt so utterly alone in this moment, and it paralyzed her.

She slumped to the floor, letting the water run freely in the sink as she slid down against the linoleum floor. She pulled her knees up, bringing her arms around them, gasping for breath as she fought to control herself. She hated these moments, these unbearable moments that felt like she was slipping down into the abyss, something far more terrifying than even Ed.

She felt the hot tears sting her cheeks, and then she heard it. The crunch of tire on gravel, the sound of an engine cutting off. But it didn't have the familiar sound of Daryl's truck. No. This was different. She scrambled to her feet, digging her heels into the linoleum as she made her way across the kitchen and into the living room. She peered out the door at the small, red pickup that sat in the drive.

Fear struck her then, and she pressed her back against the door, heart pounding in her ears as she tried to make sense of it all. For a brief moment, she thought Ed had found her, but how could he? He had connections, but how in the hell would he know to look for her here of all places? There was no way. No way. Not unless Dale and Irma had…no. No, she refused to believe that.

The doorknob jiggled, and Carol jumped, clutching her chest as she said a silent prayer to whoever might be listening. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the door as the door thrust open, only to slam back shut from the weight of her leaning on it.

She heard a muffled curse, and then a tap on the glass.

"Carol. Carol, it's me." She could barely hear it over the rumble of thunder, but she knew. Her eyes flew open then, and she turned, throwing the door opening and standing face to face with Daryl. He was soaking wet and looked terrified, and without even thinking, without missing a beat, she was crashing into him, arms thrown around his shoulders and holding him tight. He stumbled backward out onto the porch, and the screen shut as they stood there, rain pouring off the awning in sheets around them.

"I thought…I thought…" she panted. "You were gone."

"M' here. M'sorry," he murmured, hand gently caressing the back of her head. She held him tighter then. "Bridge got washed out in the next county. Had to take a detour. Damned near got lost. Tried to call you, but the service was out."

"God," she panted, burying her face against his neck, feeling his heart beating against her cheek as he squeezed her tight.

"M'sorry, Carol. Meant to be back hours ago, but I couldn't ge—" He gasped when Carol's lips were on his, hands frantically gripping his back, holding onto him as if he were going to disappear. He froze for only a moment, before he was kissing her, too, closing his eyes and leaning into her, bodies entwined as they stood together, storm whipping around them as the porch shook from the thunder. He could taste the salt of her tears, and her lips were soft against his, and in that moment, he knew this was the last first kiss he'd ever have.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Kissing him felt good. It felt right. And she couldn't believe herself, but still, she didn't want to stop. She'd never kissed someone like this and felt this connection that felt stronger with each passing moment, with each sweep of his tongue against her lips. When his hand came up to her neck, she didn't choke, she didn't flinch. Instead, she sighed when his thumb tenderly brushed over her pulse point, and his hand curled around the back of her neck to bring her closer, to deepen the kiss.

She sighed softly against his mouth, opening up to him, shivering as he gently grazed her bottom lip with his teeth before slipping his tongue against hers. His other hand moved slowly down her back, each brush of his fingers along her spine sending sparks through her blood.

Then her hands were in his hair, and she wanted more, and while her head was screaming at her to stop, that this shouldn't happen, her heart and her body had other things in mind, as they responded to him a way she'd never felt before.

An electric hum filled the air as the power came back on, and Daryl gently pushed back on Carol's shoulders, breaking the kiss despite the fact that every fiber of his being wanted to keep kissing her, keep holding her.

"God, I'm sorry," she panted breathlessly, cheeks flaming with warmth. Daryl cleared his throat and ducked his head a little.

"How long's that been out?" he asked quietly, as she took a stumbling step back and brought her hand to her mouth fingertips gently touching her lips, eyes wide with surprise that she'd done such a thing.

"Not sure," she murmured. "Few hours." She swallowed hard and moved to sit on the porch swing. The buzz of the porch light distracted her, and she looked out at the red pickup parked in the drive. "Where'd you get that?"

"Couple counties over. Figure my truck's gonna be all over the news 'fore too long. Sold it for a lot less than I paid for it, but I took what I got and bought this off some kid who probably just wanted drug money."

"Oh," Carol said quietly. "Daryl, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'm in this with you." He crossed the porch to sit down next to her. "But we gotta talk about some things."

"Ok," she said with a shaky breath.

"Wanna do that in the mornin', when we both got some sleep behind us?" Carol shook her head. "Alright." He cleared his throat and shifted closer to her on the swing.

"Starters, gonna have to think about how long we're willin' to hole up here. Folks are gonna start talkin', so it's probably best we only stay a few days. Move on from there."

"Ok," Carol said quietly, swallowing hard. "What else?"

"How are ya at givin' haircuts?"

"What?" she asked, laughing a little at the silly question.

"Maybe we should think about changin' our appearances. Pictures they're showin' of me, my hair's like this, long, shaggy. Maybe I should cut it, get it out of my face a little."

"Yeah," Carol said quietly, a little smile crossing her face. "And I could dye my hair." She shrugged a little. "I've always wanted to know what it feels like to be a redhead." Daryl smirked then.

"And how long are ya willin' to keep Sophia out here?" Carol's face fell, and her shoulders slumped. "Longer we're gone, the longer Ed's gonna have to try to make a case against ya for neglect or some shit. You're a good mama, but he's gonna use whatever he can against ya."

"I can't take her back there. I can't. If I take her, he'd hurt her to hurt me." She shook her head. "I can't. Everything I've ever done has been for my daughter, and taking her back there? I can't. I'd go to prison for the rest of my life before I'd give her over to that son of a bitch." She swallowed hard, blinking back the tears. "I can't take her back there. Not until I know she'll be safe."

"Alright," Daryl said with a nod. "What do we have on him?"

"Nothing," Carol scoffed. "Not even so much as a speeding ticket. He prefers to commit all of his crimes behind closed doors." She shook her head. "He tells the world I was a whore, but what he fails to tell them is that he came with cash in hand for a little attention."

"Alright," Daryl said, chewing at his bottom lip for a moment. "He still goes? Still pays for prostitutes?"

"With Ed, you never know. But he always left home and came home at the same time, so if he was doing it, it was on the job." She shrugged her shoulders. "I suspected it occasionally, went and got myself tested at the free clinic. Nothing. But…that doesn't mean anything. He'd be careful. A spot of syphilis wouldn't look good for a family man, you know? Wouldn't look good on his medical records."

"Alright," Daryl said quietly, getting up from the porch swing.

"Where are you going?"

"Gonna make a few calls. You should go in. Get some sleep. You can have the bed. I'll sleep in the recliner."

"No, it's ok," Carol replied quietly. "I don't mind the recliner."

"You get the bed," Daryl said quietly. "You get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll figure everything else out." Carol stood then, and she moved to bridge the gap between them. She hadn't felt so free in her entire life. She hadn't felt so safe.

"Thank you," Carol said quietly, gently brushing the hair out of his eyes. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. For my daughter. Nobody's ever done anything like this for me before." She leaned in then to kiss his cheek, but he turned, pressing his lips gently against hers. And she felt that shiver go up her spine again, as his hands rested on her hips, and she didn't want to back away. Instead, she leaned into the kiss, and she waited for him to break it, because in all honesty, she felt like she could finally breathe again; like he'd breathed new life into her, and it was an intoxicating, invigorating feeling.

He pulled back then, and he sighed, looking down.

"M'sorry," he murmured.

"I'm not," she said quietly, cheeks flushing pink in the yellow glow of the porch light. He saw her breath hitch, as if she wasn't sure she should have said such a thing, but he gently brushed his thumb over her lips, and he leaned in for another quick kiss. And then she walked away, probably the best thing for both of them, and he took a long, slow breath before reaching into his pocket for his cell phone.

He dialed Rick's number and settled back down on the porch swing.

 _"Yeah?"_ Rick's voice was rough with sleep.

"It's me. We're safe. Gonna stay for a while. She ain't willin' to bring the kid back home, and I don't blame her. We're gonna have to dig in to get the dirt on this guy. She met him as a client, and I'm willin' to bet that he ain't givin' up on payin' for his dates."

 _"Christ. In Atlanta?_ "

"My best bet," he said quietly. "We got a couple numbers, a couple girls who'll cooperate. You wanna try them?"

" _I'll give 'em a try. See if they're willing to keep an eye out for him. Call us if he comes sniffing around, you know?"_

"Right."

 _"Your face is all over the news, brother. They're saying it's drug related, that you were fucking her. That you were fightin' about drugs when Ed came home. Guess he's sayin' that there's some money missing, and that Sophia's just a bargaining chip for more cash. That son of a bitch actually got on TV pleading with his wife to bring her back, that he'd give her whatever he wanted, so long as he got his little girl back."_ A beat. _"You sure you trust this woman? You sure you wanna go through this with her? If you're wrong about her, you're gonna lose everything. You're gonna lose your job, you're gonna go to prison. It ain't more simple than that."_

"I saw what he did to her with my own two eyes. She ain't lyin'."

 _"So you better be straight with me. Peletier said his wife was pregnant when he met her, that she was a prostitute. That's true?"_

"It's true, but it don't matter. Ain't who she is now."

 _"The drugs?"_

"Ain't true. And if the goddamned media would do their fuckin' jobs, they'd be askin' how Ed met her in the first place. He was her John." He felt his throat tighten as the words betrayed him. He hated saying them out loud. It felt like a betrayal, but it was the truth, and he knew that Rick needed to know everything essential to the situation if he was going to help.

 _"Unless he paid with a credit card, then there's no way to prove that_ ," Rick reminded him. Daryl sighed heavily. _"Look, I'll check in with a couple of informants, see if he can get any cooperation. Just hang tight. I'll be in touch."_

"Thanks," Daryl murmured, ending the call and squeezing the phone in his fist. He groaned in frustration before pulling a pack of smokes out of the back of his jeans. He quickly lit one up and took a few puffs, fingers trembling as he fought to control the anger building up inside of him. He hated Ed Peletier, and if there was one thing he was absolutely certain of it was this: Ed Peletier was going to pay, and he was going to make sure of it one way or the other.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Carol almost didn't recognize the woman in the mirror staring back at her. The once wavy brown locks were now a dark auburn, bringing out the striking blue of her eyes. The bruises along her collarbones were fading to a brownish green, and her first instinct had been to cover them, but she was already hiding as it was. She had hidden the abuse for so many years. She was tired. Tired of trying to convince herself that this was the way it had to be.

She cleared her throat and ran the brush through her hair one last time, unplugging the hairdryer and running her fingers over her forehead, wiping at the sweat from the heat of the vanity mirror lights.

She grabbed scissors and a towel, and she headed out of the bathroom to the deck, where Daryl was sitting having a cigarette.

"Mom, your hair!" Sophia gasped from the table, where she was practicing some math problems Carol had written out for her. Carol blushed then, turning toward her nine-year-old.

"It's different, I know," Carol winced.

"It's pretty, though," Sophia said softly. "I like it. Can I make mine that way, too?"

"Oh no," Carol chuckled, moving over to kiss the top of her daughter's head. "Your hair's perfect just the way it is. Every last strand."

"But…"

"Not 'til you're eighteen," Carol replied. Sophia made a face, and Carol grinned at her. "How's your math coming?"

"I hate fractions," Sophia groaned. "And I'm not at school, so why do I have to do school work? We haven't even got to these fractions yet."

"Because when you go back to school, you don't want to be behind, do you?"

"No," Sophia muttered.

"Work on them for another half hour, and then we'll work on your spelling words." Sophia made a face, and Carol raised her eyebrows. The little girl's shoulders slumped in defeat, and she went back to her work.

Carol smiled a little, amazed the way Sophia reminded her so much of herself when she was young. She was smart but fussy when it came to doing school work.

Carol slid the doors open and stepped outside, wringing the towel anxiously in her hands. She had to fight everything that was inside of her not to turn around and run back inside. If Ed had ever caught her dying her hair, he'd have beaten the hell out of her. He always claimed he liked his women natural, though he always made sure she was dolled up when he wanted to parade her around in front of his work buddies.

The thought of it made her feel sick, and she started to turn, only to freeze when Daryl turned to look at her. She couldn't read the look on his face as he stared at her, eyes moving from her face to the new color of her hair and then back to her eyes. Then his mouth turned up in a little smirk, and she felt her heart flutter in her chest.

"Looks good on you," he said with a little nod, taking one last pull off of his cigarette before he tossed it to the ground.

"Maybe it's too extreme?" she offered, moving to pull a patio chair over behind him where he sat on the step.

"Nah. I like it. Suits you." Carol felt her face grow warm as she took a seat. "You ever done this before?"

"Plenty of times," she said with a smile. "I always cut Sophia's. And Ed's. He didn't want to waste money on something a woman ought to know how to do."

"Who taught you?" Daryl asked, scooting back a little between her legs, shoulders gently nudging her knees apart. She paused for a moment before gently running her fingers through his damp locks. She'd insisted he wash his hair before she cut it, because she worked better on damp hair than dry.

Her fingers gently stroked his scalp, and he felt a shiver run up his spine.

"My mom used to cut hair as a side job," she said softly as she began to run a comb through his hair. "I used to practice on my girlfriends in school. I gave some of them some pretty bad perms before I got it right." Daryl snorted at that. "Hmm, maybe we should try that for you."

"Fuck no," he snorted. Carol laughed then, and Daryl briefly glanced over his shoulder at her, peering at her from behind his shaggy hair. She blushed again, and he turned his head away so she could focus on his hair. "Like to hear you laugh. Should do it more often." His fingertips gently grazed over her ankle, and she closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to concentrate.

"Now how short are you willing to go? You're all shaggy, so I assume you like a little length," Carol murmured, running her hand down the back of his neck as she gently tugged his hair to examine the length.

"Not too short. Don't wanna be bald."

"Ok," she laughed. "Well, let's see what I can do, ok?"

"I trust ya," he murmured. She hesitated then, letting the words sink in. As insignificant as those three words could be to some people, they meant far more to her than she could ever let on. Ed never trusted her, never even pretended he trusted her. She'd lived her life being reminded that she was a victim, that he was her savior, and she'd been solely dependent on him. It felt strange to feel like her own person and to be trusted by another. It felt good. She felt like she could finally breathe.

"Alright. Let's get started," she murmured, making the first cut to his shaggy locks.

...

"What?" Daryl asked, as the red pickup bounced along the country roads. He'd caught her staring again.

"Nothing," she grinned. Sophia giggled as she sat between them with Kirby on her lap.

"What's so funny?" Daryl asked, looking at the girl. She pursed her lips together and giggled, shaking her head.

"I just didn't expect your ears to poke out like that," Carol teased.

"You talkin' 'bout my ears?" he asked. Sophia laughed again, and Carol patted her leg. "What'd you do? Cut a square around my ear or somethin'?"

"No," Carol laughed. "It looks nice. You saw it. You know I did a good job." She was confident, and that made him smile. She'd left a little length in it at the sides, cutting it so that his hair didn't fall into his eyes. She'd done that on purpose, because she'd found that looking into his eyes was easy, and she enjoyed it. She'd avoided looking into Ed's eyes every chance she got, even during sex, because she knew when she looked there, she'd see nothing but everything he felt she owed him. But when she looked at Daryl, when she looked into his eyes, she saw someone that didn't expect a damned thing from her, who just wanted her to be ok.

"Can you cut mine?" Sophia asked with wide eyes. "Please?"

"Honey, your hair is so beautiful," Carol said softly. "You really want to cut it? I thought you wanted to learn how to braid it?" Sophia's eyes widened, and she nodded. "I'll teach you tonight."

"I can braid my dolls' hair, but it's hard to braid my own," Sophia pointed out.

"I'll help you tonight," Carol promised. She leaned back against the seat and stuck her arm out the window, relishing the feel of the cool wind against her skin.

"Where are we going?" Sophia asked after a moment.

"I'd like to know that myself," Carol replied, quirking an eyebrow. They'd traveled a couple of miles, but they were still driving along the lake, and Carol enjoyed the view, enjoyed the fresh air and the company, too.

"You ever been on a boat?" Daryl asked.

"No," Sophia said with wide eyes. Daryl smiled and glanced at Carol. She squinted her eyes, thinking back briefly.

"Once, when I was a kid. I remember it was the Fourth of July, and the fireworks reflected in the water. It was beautiful." She sighed softly at the memory. It was vague and fuzzy, but she remembered sitting in her daddy's lap, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her as he helped her light and hold a sparkler, being cautious not to let her burn herself. She remembered the smell of his aftershave, one that she'd picked out for Christmas and given to him. It had smelled awful, but he wore it every day, because she'd picked it out for him.

"Saw a rental place. Thought it might be somethin' we could do today."

"Cool!" Sophia exclaimed.

"Daryl, we can't afford that, can we?"

"It's by the hour," he promised. "'Sides, you and Soph could use a little vacation, huh?" Carol swallowed the lump in her throat, and she looked out the window, blinking back tears. She didn't want him to see her like this, she didn't want him to know. But he knew. He knew the secrets behind those beautiful, blue eyes. He was the only one she could talk to, the only one she could tell, because she knew he would get it. Even if he didn't understand, he got it, and he didn't look at her any differently than he had before he knew.

"Thank you," Carol murmured softly, wiping at her eyes. She trembled then, as Daryl stretched his arm ought along the back of the bench seat, fingers gently grazing her shoulder, as he gave her a little squeeze. She settled back against the seat, and she closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of Sophia expressing her excitement for their upcoming boat adventure.

...

"Ew!" Sophia laughed, as Daryl opened the lid to the cup of worms. They slithered around, entwining with each other and burrowing deep in the dirt as Daryl picked one out.

"You never done this before?" Daryl asked, as Sophia held her hands firmly around the small fishing pole they'd rented.

"Nope," she replied, making a face and shaking her head.

"Never went fishing before," Carol replied, making a face similar to her daughter's. Daryl shook his head.

"Well, you don't know what you're missin'. Gonna catch us some fish and have a good supper tonight."

"You mean we're gonna _eat_ them?" Sophia asked incredulously. Daryl chuckled and hooked the worm for her.

"Sure. Why not?" The small boat bobbed and teetered on the calm waters, and Kirby stuck his head over the side, tongue hanging out as he turned his head side to side, trying to figure out what was going on and why he could see his reflection in the rippled surface. "Alright, you're all set. You got it?"

"Mmmhmm," Sophia said with a determined nod, sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as if it's very placement there meant the difference between success and failure.

"Hold on, and when you start to feel a tug, don't pull too hard or too fast, or you'll break the line, alright? Let it give a little, and then you start to reel."

"Ok," Sophia said with a nod. "I got it." Daryl watched as Carol smiled brightly, watching her daughter attempt to fish for the first time. He settled back and scooted over toward Carol, where she was holding her own fishing pole.

"Need me to bait that hook for ya?"

"No," she replied. "I can do it myself. But why worms? They had all sorts of fancy doo-dads back at the rental place."

"Doo-dads? That the technical name for lures?" he teased.

"Stop," she snorted.

"Worms work better. Trust me."

"Hmm," Carol said with a little nod, managing to get a worm on her hook, making a face the entire time. Finally, she got her line in the water and gripped the pole. "You sure you don't want to do this? You only rented two poles."

"Been fishin' too many times to count. 'Sides, I wanna watch you do it. Gonna be a good show."

"Shut up," she smirked. Daryl grinned then, and Carol settled back a little, feeling the tension she often carried in her shoulders just melting away. "You talk to Rick today?"

"Don't worry 'bout that. We ain't worryin' about that today. Just relax. Stop thinkin'. Just have fun."

"Thank you for this," Carol said softly. "Now, you're about to see the worst fishing you've ever seen in your life."

"Nah, you'll do fine," he promised. "And if ya don't, you'll learn somethin' for next time."

"Next time?"

"Sure. What's the good of stayin' in a lake house if ya ain't gonna take advantage of it?" Carol smiled at that and chewed her lip a little, before Sophia made a squeal of surprise.

"Daryl! I got something! I got something!" Daryl scooted over and got behind Sophia, gently bringing his hands over hers.

"Alright. Hold it steady. That's it. You got it?" She nodded anxiously, and Daryl gently guided her hands, teaching her how to steady the pole and reel in her fish. Carol watched as Sophia grinned from ear to ear when she reeled in a small but worthy catch. It was a small bass, and Sophia looked so proud as Daryl held his phone up to take a picture.

"You did good, kid," he said with a nod, patting her on the back and opening up the cooler to toss the catch inside. "Now we just gotta get your mama to catch one, and it'll be a good day's fishin'."

...

It was well after dark when they returned to the lake house. It was quiet, and there was a cool breeze, making it the perfect night to open the windows and let the fresh air in. Sophia collapsed on the couch as soon as they were inside, and Carol gently knelt by the couch and covered her with a blanket.

"I feel bad. She doesn't need to keep sleeping on the couch."

"Think she likes it there," Daryl said quietly, watching the way she curled up and turned with her face to the back of the couch. "You better go get some rest." Carol nodded, and she moved toward the recliner, but he caught her hand in his. "Go on. You take the bed. I got the recliner."

"It's your turn," she argued. Daryl gave her a little shrug, and he pulled his pack of smokes from his pocket.

"Ain't goin' to sleep just."

"Oh. Ok. I'll probably sit up for a little while and read."

"Gonna take a walk out by the lake. Wanna join me?"

"I can't leave her," Carol said quietly.

"Ain't goin' far. Just out back. Maybe sit on the shore. You want a beer?"

"No," Carol chuckled, making a face. "I'll get you one." She started for the kitchen, but he gently pulled on her hand, and she suddenly realized they'd been holding hands since he'd stopped her before. She looked down between them, and her heart skipped a beat as she watched his fingers curl around hers.

"Don't need a beer," he said quietly. He let go of her hand then, and she trembled, and she nodded toward the back of the house, a silent gesture to let him know she'd like to join him.

Daryl quickly unloaded the small cooler into the fridge for keeping until he could get to cleaning them in the morning. Carol made sure the doors were locked and gave Sophia a kiss on the cheek before she followed him out onto the deck and down into the cool, damp grass. They walked to the shore, and Daryl was the first to sit down where the grass me the red Georgia dirt. Carol paused for a moment before sitting down beside him, and she shivered as her hands brushed over the cool soil.

"You cold?"

"Mmm, a little, but it's fine," she promised. Daryl pulled his arm around her, and Carol closed her eyes, relishing the smell of the fresh air and the lake water and the feel of his warm, calloused hand brushing her cool skin. When he felt her shaking, he pulled his hand away.

"M'sorry." He started to scoot away, but Carol grabbed for his hand.

"It's ok. I won't break," she said quietly. "I just…don't know how to do this." She swallowed hard and looked down at their joined hands.

"Fuck, I'm such an asshole," he muttered. "Carol, I ain't tryin' to…I just…I want ya to know that I care about ya. That I'm here. Don't want ya to think I'm tryin' to…'cause I'm not."

"Daryl," she broke in, "what _are_ you trying to do?" She looked up at him, barely making out his features in the darkness.

"Dunno. Shit, I'm bad at this," he admitted. "You ain't ready. I ain't ready. I just…I care. I just want ya to know that."

"I know," Carol said softly, "and you've been wonderful to me and to Sophia. She had the biggest smile on her face all day today, and that's because of you. You did more for her today than Ed ever has. You were patient with her, and you taught her something she'll never forget. And I won't either." She leaned in and pressed her lips against his cheek. "When I was her age, I never would have thought my life would turn out the way it has. I made some bad choices, and I wish I could take a lot of them back. You're the first person I've told about…about everything, and it feels good to talk to somebody and not see this…this look that I've expected. The last thing I want is pity. I don't want somebody looking at me, feeling sorry for me because I made a mess of my life, because my husband hits me." She took a deep breath. "I want to start over, and I want to get out of this mess. I want to be happy, and I know I can be. I just have to learn how." She blinked back the tears, as Daryl's hand tightened around hers. "Today, you showed me a glimpse of what I want, what I know I can have someday. And I'm so grateful. I'm so…thank you, Daryl. Thank you for today."

She leaned in then, pressing her lips against his, and he held back, desperate to hold on so he wouldn't scare her. These past few days, something inside of him had grown, something he still couldn't quite grasp. He'd wondered what the hell kind of man he was for having feelings for and thoughts about a woman going through what Carol was. But the thing was, he wanted to be there, he wanted to help her through this, because he knew that she was something special, something worth holding onto. Ed held onto her because he thought he owned her. He controlled her by using her past against her, and that wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want Carol to think she had to show him her gratitude. He just wanted her to know he cared, and it was in that moment he realized that things were probably going too fast, too soon.

"Hey," he murmured, gently pushing back on her shoulders. "It's ok. We should stop."

"Daryl…I want to move on. I do."

"We don't gotta do this," he promised. "When we get out of this, when we make him pay, I'm still gonna be here, 'cause I want to be. And then, we can talk about it. We can…we can move on. Together, if that's what you want. Alright?" Carol swallowed hard and nodded, gently tracing her thumb over his knuckles.

Not only was he willing to help her, he was willing to leave her be to sort her own self out. He wasn't looking at her like he expected something out of her, he wasn't wanting something in return for his help. He just wanted to be there, wanted to help her, and she knew a big part of it stemmed from his own experiences growing up and from the things he'd seen as a police officer. But another part of it came from the fact that he was genuinely a good man; the kind of man who would help out a stranger, because he could see she was in pain.

"You ready to go back in?" Daryl asked after a few moments. She shook her head and scooted closer, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Not just yet. Let's sit for a while."

"Alright. Whatever you need," he promised, curling his arm around her shoulders, holding her, listening to the water rippling against the wind as the night grew silent, darker, still.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Daryl was the first to wake, and that was due to the fact that he felt something warm and wet on his toes. He groaned, squinting one eye open to see Kirby sitting at his feet, tail wagging back and forth impatiently, a needy look on his face that only told one thing.

"Aw, c'mon," Daryl grumbled, taking a peek at the clock. "It's seven fuckin' thirty." Kirby whined, and Daryl sighed. "Ten more minutes?" He closed his eyes and then felt puppy teeth on his toes. "Shit." He sighed and started to get out of the chair, which signaled Kirby, who took off running toward the front door. "A'right. M'comin'."

He stumbled out of the chair, toeing on his boots and grunting as he fought the urge to go take a piss. It was either piss outside or take a trip to the bathroom and have to clean up after the dog. He quickly grabbed for the leash and clipped it onto Kirby's collar.

Once outside, he walked him down to the shore, held the leash in one hand and unzipped his pants with the other. Kirby cocked his head to the side, watching the human, and Daryl smirked.

"What? You're allowed, but I ain't?" He quickly finished and zipped up, walking the dog back toward the house. "You gonna go or were you just fuckin' with me?"

Kirby sniffed around for a few moments before finally getting down to business. Daryl lit up a smoke and stood there shivering in the morning air as his boots squeaked on the dewy grass. Storm clouds were rolling in, and it was sure to be a storm day.

Kirby whined and began to tug at the lease, and Daryl quickly finished his smoke, tossing the butt away and leading the dog back up to the house.

"You hungry, boy?" he asked. He'd picked up a small bag of dog food the other night at the store, and Kirby had almost finished the whole thing already. "You're gonna eat us outta house and home when you're bigger, you know that?" He scratched the pup behind the ears and poured some of the food into the bowl, sitting down on the porch steps to let the dog eat.

He heard the screen door open, and he peeked over his shoulder to see Sophia standing there zipping up her jacket.

"Hey, Soph," he murmured. "You're up early."

"I'm hungry," she complained.

"Oh," he murmured. "Um, when your mama gets up, we can go grab some breakfast, and…"

"Can you make pancakes?"

"Pancakes?" Daryl asked, chewing the side of his thumb for a moment, eyeing the child.

"Yeah! With peanut butter."

"Peanut butter?" he asked, making a face.

"Well, yeah. How else are you supposed to eat pancakes?" the girl asked. "Can you, please?"

"I ain't never made a pancake."

"So you don't know how?"

"I know how," he replied defensively. "Just ain't never made 'em. Never seen no reason to make pancakes for just one person."

"Well, there's three of us, silly. So c'mon. Please?" she asked, batting her eyelashes, pretty hazel eyes sparkling in the early morning sun.

"Aw, fine," he muttered. "Here, you hold the pup and bring him in when he's done. I'll make you some damned pancakes." Sophia grinned at her victory, and she quickly bent down to kiss Daryl's cheek.

"Thank you, Mr. Dixon." Daryl nodded just then, and he handed over the leash to the girl. "Stay on the porch, alright, Soph? I'll call for ya when breakfast is ready."

"Ok," she promised. She smiled then, sitting down Indian-style and scratching Kirby behind the ears as he ate his own breakfast.

Daryl muttered to himself on the way to the kitchen. He could hear the shower running, so he knew Carol would be out shortly. He wanted to do this and do it right, give them a home-cooked breakfast that wasn't an utter disaster. He was a decent cook, but he never cooked for anybody but himself, so he really wasn't sure if his food was any good or not. He liked it well enough, but would they?

He did a quick search on his phone to make sure he had everything he needed for pancakes, and soon enough, he had several of them piled on a plate. When he heard bare feet slapping against the linoleum, he peered over his shoulder to see Carol stepping up behind him. She was fresh-faced, hair wet and curly, beads of water still sliding down her neck and between her breasts, slipping down into the pretty blue tank top. The bruises looked much better, and he couldn't help but notice the way she seemed to carry herself with a little more confidence. She wasn't hiding.

"Good morning," she said with a smile, leaning over to kiss his cheek as her hand gently rubbed his back. He swallowed hard, kissing her cheek in return.

"Mornin'."

"Sophia suckered you into pancakes?"

"How'd ya guess?" he asked. Carol made a face and started across the kitchen to a set of cupboards.

"I'll get the peanut butter."

"What is it with you Peletier women and your peanut butter on pancakes?" he asked.

"Have you ever tried it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No," he muttered. "Sounds awful."

"Well, don't knock it ' _til_ you've tried it." She pointed her finger at him to stress her point, and he snorted, turning back to flip a pancake quickly so it wouldn't burn. Carol pulled a jar of smooth and creamy peanut butter from the cupboard, and she used a fork to pull one of the fluffy pancakes onto a plate. She spread the peanut butter over it with a knife, poured some syrup over it and cut a small piece with her fork. She held the fork up toward Daryl, and he made a face that reminded her of Sophia's when she didn't really want to eat her broccoli. "C'mon. I promise you'll love it." Daryl reluctantly opened his mouth, and she fed it to him. His eyebrows rose in surprise, and Carol grinned. "Good, right?"

"Shit, that _is_ good," he muttered, nodding toward the plate, indicating he wanted another bite. She laughed then, feeding him another bite and pulling the fork away.

"Oh, you've got…" She put her thumb on the side of his mouth, wiping at a bit of syrup. She instinctively brought her thumb to her lips and sucked the sweetness off, cheeks flushing red as she met his gaze. His lips twitched, and before either of them knew it, he was turning toward her, pulling her in and pressing his lips hungrily against hers.

Carol gasped softly against his mouth but quickly dropped the fork with a clatter, wrapping her arms around his neck and fully giving into the kiss, moaning softly as his hand moved down her back. His tongue slipped against her lips, and she opened up to him, eagerly kissing him back with as much need and enthusiasm as he was kissing her.

He pulled her closer, backing her against the counter, and she moaned softly as his hands moved over her ass and then back up, and she whimpered softly when one hand came up to cup her cheek as he slowly broke the kiss.

"I gotta stop doin' that," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers.

"It's ok. I like it," she promised. "It feels good." He looked up, meeting her gaze, and then he was leaning forward for another kiss, which she happily gave into. But then she was giggling against his mouth, and he broke away to look at her face.

"What's so funny?"

"Your pancake is burning," she laughed.

"Shit," he muttered, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips before reaching for the skillet and scraping the blackened pancake into the trash.

"It's ok," Carol said with a little grin. "We have plenty here." She smiled and reached around him to turn off the stove. "I'll get Sophia." He nodded and proceeded to set the table, while Carol went to fetch Sophia.

...

Carol and Sophia were giggling together at the sink when Daryl brought the last plate over. Carol was washing, and Sophia was drying, and Daryl eyed them both.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing," Sophia said unconvincingly, grinning up at her mother. "Right, Mama?"

"Right," Carol grinned, winking at her daughter.

"Don't like this at all. You two plottin' against me?"

"No," Sophia replied, shaking her head vigorously.

"Hey, I know a pup that probably wouldn't mind a fresh bowl of water. Who wants to take care'a that?"

"Oh, me!" Sophia volunteered.

"Alright. You do that. I'll take over dryin' duties," he offered. Sophia nodded and hurried off to get Kirby. Carol handed Daryl a wet plate, and he brushed the towel over it, eyeing her. She noticed him watching.

"What?"

"So what's the plan for today?"

"Plan? What are you talking about?"

"Yesterday we went fishin'. What're we doin' today?"

"Daryl, we aren't on vacation. We're in hiding."

"Don't mean you can't have a good time while we're waitin' to hear back from Rick." Carol looked down at the sudsy dish water, shoulders slumping as she rested her hands on the basin.

"What if he doesn't find anything? What if…"

"Hey, he will."

"Ed's careful. And even when he's not, he's got buddies who, I'm sure, would clean up his messes. He could kill me and get off scott free."

"Ain't gonna happen," Daryl promised. He put his hand over hers. "Hey. Look at me." Carol sighed and turned, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "We're gonna figure this out." Carol nodded then, and just as if on cue, Daryl's prepaid phone rang. "See? That'll be him."

He reached into his pocket for his phone, and he furrowed his brows when he saw the number on his screen.

"Daryl? What's wrong?" He shook his head, and he answered the call.

"What's wrong?"

 _"Daryl…it's me. It's…"_

"I know. Hey. What's wrong?" The voice on the other line choked back sobs as she tried to speak. "What happened?"

 _"I saw you on the news. I saw your picture."_

"Why are you callin' me? I can't help you. Best call Rick if you got some trouble."

 _"No. I need you! Well, maybe…maybe we need each other."_

"What're you talkin' about?" Daryl asked, sitting down slowly. Carol watched his every move and moved to stand next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. He instinctively reached up, curling his fingers around hers as he listened to the voice on the phone.

 _"I'm in the hospital. I…I was attacked."_

"Shit. Alright. Why you callin' me? I can't come to Atlanta. I'm…you know…m'sorry."

 _"Daryl,"_ she choked out. " _I was beat up. A couple broke ribs. They're going to send me home."_ Daryl froze, and he closed his eyes, hand tightening around the phone. _"I have to go. Soon. But…I needed you to know."_

"Alright. What is it? What can I do for ya? I can try. I can call Rick."

 _"That woman. That woman on the news with you? Is she ok?"_ Silence. _"Damn it, Daryl, don't shut me out right now. Just tell me!"_

"Fine. She's fine. They're both fine."

 _"Thank God,"_ she breathed. _"I need to talk to her."_

"No. M'sorry. I can't do that."

 _"Daryl, you don't understand. I can help her. I think I can help her. I just need to talk to her."_ Daryl looked up at Carol, who was looking down at him with worry.

"Are you using?"

 _"No_ ," she cried out. _"Daryl, I'm clean. I promise. I just need to talk to her. She…she needs to hear it from me."_ Daryl sighed heavily and shook his head.

 _"_ I can't." Carol furrowed her brows again, mouthing a silent 'what?' as he looked up at her.

 _"Daryl!"_ the woman on the other line pleaded. _"It's ok. She knows me. She knew me. Once. Please, just tell her who I am. Tell her my name. She'll know."_ It was Daryl's turn to be confused, and he looked up at Carol again, swallowing hard as he held out the phone.

"She says she knows you," he said quietly, as Carol took the phone in her hand. "Her name's Andrea."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Carol picked at a string on the hem of her shirt as she sat on the park bench watching Sophia walk Kirby. Daryl sat next to her smoking a cigarette and keeping an eye on the park entrance. They'd driven an hour further from Atlanta to meet in a neutral location, and Daryl was keeping a close eye on every car that drove through. The last thing he wanted was to see that Andrea had been followed or that, God forbid, Ed had found them.

Carol eyed him. She hadn't asked, but it was killing her, and she chewed her lip, trying to gather up the courage to ask Daryl Dixon how he knew Andrea and why she had his private number.

"Go on. Know it's buggin' you," Daryl murmured, smoke piping from his lips as he exhaled the last draw. He flicked the ashes onto the pavement and turned his head to look at her.

"Well, you were an undercover cop. I'm sure you've met her…I mean…"

"Few years back, Andrea was one of the prostitutes we picked up in a sting. She was scared to death, shakin' and comin' off of a high." He watched Carol flinch.

"She wasn't really into drugs when I knew her. As far as I know."

"She's the one…?"

"Yeah," Carol murmured. "I met her, and she took me in, and then the rest is history." She smiled sadly. "I don't blame her. I made my choices. I could have just as easily made a very different one, and maybe I wouldn't be in this mess right now." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I never saw her again after I left with Ed, and I always felt bad, always wanted to look for her, but I knew Ed would kill me if he even thought I'd gone around her. He didn't want to be reminded of it, you know? My past? But the funny thing was, he never let _me_ forget it. Held it over my head every chance he could get."

"He's an asshole," Daryl muttered, flicking the cigarette butt to the ground and sliding his boot over it to put out the burn.

"She took care of me. Andrea did. She made sure I knew where to go if I needed help, made sure I knew where the clinic was, just in case." Carol lowered her voice as Sophia walked past them. When she was out of earshot again, she cleared her throat. "I hoped she'd get out of it."

"She did," Daryl murmured with a nod. "That arrest put the fear in her. She gave up some big names in exchange for her release. We helped her get clean and find work, helped her find a new place, helped keep her safe. Nobody ever knew she was the one givin' out the details on the big names. Couple of the low lives turned out to be heavy in human trafficking. Really fucked things up for 'em."

"Andrea did that?"

"Mmmhmm. Looks like Ed's figured out where she is."

"God," Carol murmured. "She shouldn't be risking herself like this." She shook her head but froze when she saw a silver SUV pull into the park. Daryl stood then.

"Soph. C'mere," he called, waving the girl over. "You sit here with your Mama and keep her company, alright?" Sophia nodded and sat down on the bench next to Carol. "I'll be right back."

Carol watched as Daryl crossed the park lawn toward the car, and she anxiously fidgeted next to Sophia on the bench.

"Mom, what's wrong?" the girl asked. "Are you nervous?"

"A little, honey," Carol admitted.

"Why?" Sophia looked over toward Daryl. "Who's in the van?"

"An old friend of mine."

"Oh," Sophia said quietly. "Do I know them?"

"No, honey. I knew her before you were born."

"Oh," Sophia said with a nod. "You're not friends anymore?"

"It's complicated, sweetie," Carol said quietly, taking a deep breath when she saw the car door open. Daryl helped Andrea out, and she kept one hand at her side. She wore sunglasses and a T-shirt and a pair of baggy pajama pants. She looked good, healthy, aside from the pain she was so obviously in. They walked over together, and Carol felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. She looked to Sophia, who seemed more interested in what Kirby was doing.

The last thing she wanted to do was discuss her old life with Sophia in earshot, and Daryl seemed to get that right away, as he moved toward Sophia as they walked.

"Hey, Soph. Let's take Kirby over by the duck pond."

"Can I, Mom?" Sophia asked, standing up and getting a good hold on Kirby's leash.

"Of course. Just don't get too close, sweetie." Sophia nodded and gave Andrea a smile before hurrying off with Daryl. Daryl gave Carol a nod as if to tell her that everything was alright; that he would be keeping an eye on them from a distance.

Carol stood slowly and took a step toward Andrea. Andrea smiled a little, lower lip trembling as she reached out and gave Carol a half-hug, avoiding one side of her body where her other hand stayed firmly pressed.

"God, you look great," Andrea murmured. "You look beautiful." Carol pulled back, and Andrea slipped the sunglasses from her face, revealing a dark circle around one eye that extended down her cheek and along her jaw. Carol remembered seeing the same damage in the mirror her own self a time a two.

"I'm so sorry," Carol murmured.

"It's not your fault," Andrea replied quietly, moving to sit down on the bench. Carol sat with her, and Andrea reached for her hand. "I'm sorry you've had to live with it for the past ten years."

"I made a choice," Carol murmured.

"Yeah, but if you knew then what you knew now, would you have made the same choice?"

"Maybe," Carol admitted. "I had to get away."

"I know," Andrea murmured softly. "I tried…you know? I tried to tell you about him."

"What do you mean?" Carol asked, giving Andrea's hand a squeeze.

"He came around, you know, after the two of you were married. I never took him as a…client . The thought of it made me sick, but I saw him pick up different girls. They told me he paid them well. I told them he was married, but they just laughed, because a lot of their Johns were." She shook her head. "He tried. He came to the apartment one day, claiming you left some things behind. He tried to force his way in, but I had…company. I guess he must've known the guy, because he lit out of there like his ass was on fire."

"You remember the guy?" Carol asked quietly.

"No," Andrea replied. "There have been so many. And I'm guessing if the guy recognized Ed, he was just as freaked out as Ed, because he had something to lose, too. He wouldn't talk about it even if he was paid, I'm sure."

"So…you're out of it now?"

"Yeah," Andrea said with a pained smile. "I've been sober for four years now, I work in an office downtown. Been there going on…almost four years. I have a son."

"You do?" Carol asked with a smile.

"Yeah. Jamie. He's two. He's home with his daddy right now."

"You're married?"

"Well, no. We share custody. I couldn't tell Shane about this. He'd panic. He'd take Jamie, and I'd never see him again."

"Oh," Carol said quietly. "Then why are you here if you have so much to lose?"

"Because I'm afraid. Afraid for my son. Ed knows, Carol. I don't know how he found me, and I don't know why he wanted to find me, but he did, and he knows about my son. Shane knows about my past, he knows about the drugs, but he's ok with the custody arrangement. But if Ed starts sending threats? Shane could take Jamie. I could lose him. I have to end this, Carol. And I saw him on the news, and I saw you, and I thought that while I'm helping myself, maybe I can help you, too."

"Did you file a police report?"

"I did, but what proof do I have besides my own word? I'm sure Ed's down at the police station right now asking them what they're going to believe, his word or the words of an ex-prostitute and a recovering addict." Carol heard a lot of her own truth in that. It was precisely why she'd had no other choice than to run with Daryl when he'd offered her the chance. In retrospect, she knew that if she'd stayed, she'd likely be dead now, or if not, she'd wish she was. Ed was doing exactly what she'd dreaded he would do. He was using her past against her, trying to paint a portrait of a woman she'd long tried to forget about. Only she'd never been a drug user, she'd never been the kind of woman who would try to hurt her child.

"Do you have any place to go?" Carol asked softly. "Some place you can take your boy and get out of town for a while?"

"I can't go anywhere," Andrea said softly. "I'm out of sick days at work, and I've used up all my personal time. I can't go anywhere. But I can fight him. I wanted to tell you. So many times, Carol. I wanted to tell you about him, about what he was doing after he married you. I saw him drop one of the girls off one day, and I followed him home. I didn't know what I'd say, what I'd do. It was before your baby was born. And he went home to you, and you met him at the car, and you were so happy. You were smiling, and I thought, how the hell can I ruin that? Maybe it's ok. Maybe he'll change." Andrea blinked back a few tears. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's not your fault," Carol murmured. "I don't blame you. I don't blame you for anything, do you understand?" Andrea took a shaking breath, and she let the tears fall. She looked over to toward Daryl and Sophia and Kirby.

"She's beautiful," Andrea murmured. "She looks like you."

"Sometimes I think she does. Other times, I don't know who she looks like. And it kills me, because I don't have the answer to that." Carol wiped the tears that she couldn't hold back. She felt fingers curl around her own, and she looked down to find Andrea's hand wrapped in hers.

"You tell her that you want better for her than what you had. You tell her you love her more than anything in this world, and no matter what choices you made, the best decision you ever made was to have her, to love her, to be her mother." Carol let out a choked cry then, and she bent forward as Andrea's arm came around her shoulders.

From a distance, Daryl watched as the two women cried together and consoled one another, and he felt a lump rise in his throat as he watched as the pain from Carol's past seemed all too real and raw for her in that moment. All he wanted to do was tell her that it was going to be ok, but he knew that right now, she needed somebody who truly knew that, who really knew that you could pull yourself up from nothing and that it really would be ok.

He felt a hand slip into his, and he looked down to see Sophia looking up at him with bright, hazel eyes.

"Is Mom ok?" she asked quietly.

"She'll be ok," he said gently. "Don't worry, Soph."

"My dad makes her sad. He's mean to her, and he wants us to move to California." She looked down at the ground for just a moment before looking back up at him. "But I don't wanna go. I like it here at the lake with you." Daryl swallowed hard and gave Sophia's hand a squeeze. "Do we have to go to California?" What was he supposed to tell this child? She wasn't his. He didn't have a right. But if ever there was a time to have a good feeling about something, it was now. No way in hell was Ed Peletier taking Sophia anywhere, especially all the way to California.

"C'mon," Daryl urged without answering the question. "Let's see if we can teach Kirby to fetch."

"You didn't answer the question."

"You don't gotta go nowhere you don't want to, alright?" he promised. Sophia seemed to cheer up a little then. "I'm gonna make sure he don't hurt your mama no more, alright?" Sophia gave him a little nod before she looked down again.

"I wish you were my dad," she murmured softly before she walked away, letting Kirby lead her out into the grass to find a good fetching stick. Daryl felt his chest tighten a little, and he looked back over to Carol and Andrea, who were talking quietly together, catching up on the last ten years.

He hated this, feeling helpless, but he knew that something good had to come out of this. Ed was going to have to pay, and he was going to have to make sure Sophia and Carol were safe when it happened, because if there was anything he knew about men like Ed Peletier, it was that they didn't care who they hurt in the long run, so long as they came out the winner. And if there was anything he knew about Ed Peletier in particular, he knew that Ed would do anything to win, so they were going to have to do whatever it took to bring him down.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"You have too much to lose," Carol murmured, as she and Daryl sat with Andrea on the park bench. Sophia was close by with Kirby, trying to teach him how to fetch. Daryl kept a careful watch on her while joining the girls in conversation.

"I could lose my son anyway," Andrea said quietly, pulling a bottle of ibuprofen out for her purse. She swallowed them down and took a sip of water. "He found me, and he's threatening to hurt my son if I don't give him information on you. My ex is understanding to a point, but if a strange man comes snooping around his place, he's going to start asking questions, and he's going to assume it's because of me. He wants to keep my past out of Jamie's life, and I want that, too. Shane's a good dad. A great dad. But I'm a great mom. I love my son. He's my world. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep him safe."

"What was he askin'?" Daryl asked, giving Carol's hand a squeeze under the table.

"Um," Andrea began, wiping at her eyes, "he asked if I'd seen Carol, asked if she'd been around with a little girl. I told him the truth. I told him I hadn't seen you since before you married him, and he didn't really seem to buy that. He wanted to know where you were. He was angry. He didn't believe me. Obviously." She placed her hand against the side with two broken ribs.

Carol winced as if she could feel the pain. Daryl squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"Anything else?" Daryl asked. Andrea shook her head.

"That's basically it. He wanted to know where Carol and Sophia were. Where you were."

"Did he say anything about the drugs?"

"No," Andrea murmured, shaking her head. "He was just asking questions."

"Ok," Daryl said with a nod. "You gotta tell him where we are."

"What?!" Carol and Andrea asked in unison.

"You tell 'em where we're stayin'."

"I don't know where you're staying."

"Exactly. Make something up," he replied.

"Daryl," Carol said, shaking her head, "that's a bad idea. He'll be angry. He'll be…"

"He'll be mad as hell," Daryl said with a nod as another car pulled into the park. Daryl stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked across the park. "When people get mad, they get stupid." He took a step away.

"Who's that?" Andrea asked, squinting over at the unmarked car. "That Rick?"

"Called him while you two were talkin'. He's gonna help. Andrea, he's gonna make sure nothin' happens to you. You said you wanna help? You can. We just gotta do this my way, alright?" Andrea flinched but nodded, shaking as she fished through her purse for a packet of cigarettes. At Daryl's glanced, Carol gave him a quick nod before he started across the park to greet Rick.

"Funny," she murmured, glancing at Carol. "I never had a taste for the things until I got into drugs. I gave these up over a year ago, and I never had the desire for one. And on the way here, I stopped." She shook her head, fumbling to open the package. Carol reached out, putting her hand over Andrea's.

"It's gonna be ok. You can trust Daryl."

"He's helped me out before. I trust him. I just don't know if I trust me. My son is my first priority. I want to make that clear."

"I understand," Carol said softly. "When you become a mother, everything changes. You do everything for your child." She gave Andrea's hand a squeeze. "I trust you. But if you want to back out, I'll understand. We'll figure something out."

"I'm not backing out. I just need a minute. And a cigarette." Carol nodded and moved her hand away so Andrea could pull out a cigarette and light it. She took a long drag and closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the palm of her hand.

...

"You think she'll be ok?" Carol asked softly, as she stepped around the truck as Sophia took Kirby into the house. Daryl nodded and he took her hand in his.

"Rick's got her. He's gonna keep an eye on her, stake out her place, see if Ed tries comin' back. He will. H e wants answers, and he thinks he can use Andrea. He threatened her kid, so he'll be back."

"I don't want her to get hurt. Or her little boy," Carol said with an anxious shake of her head. "I want to protect my daughter, no matter what, but I don't want to risk Andrea or her son. It isn't right to involve her."

"Ed involved her the minute he found her. She wants to help ya, and we gotta let her." Carol nodded and leaned back against the truck. Daryl turned toward her, closing the space between them, and he took her hands in his. "This is gonna be over soon. Then you can go back home, stop hidin'."

"Home," Carol said softly. "I don't think I could ever go back there."

"Then you can come home with me," he offered. At her surprised glance, he chuckled nervously and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I mean, uh, you can stay with me. 'Til ya find a new place. You know?" Carol smiled a little at that and nodded.

"Thank you," she said gently. "But it probably wouldn't be the best idea."

"Oh," he said. "Yeah. 'Course."

"I want to do this right," she said quietly. "I like you. I like being with you."

"Me too," he murmured quietly. "I mean, I like bein' with you, too. 'Course the circumstances ain't the best, but I'll take what I can get." At Carol's blushing grin, he leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek. "I wanna give you all the time you need. I ain't goin' nowhere."

"Good," she whispered, before his lips were on hers, and he was pressing her back against the truck, fingers tucking into the hair at the nape of her neck while his other hand moved around her waist and up her back. She moaned softly against the kiss as her heart hammered against her ribs.

The screen door slammed open at that moment, and Sophia came walking out with Kirby, stopping fast in her tracks when she saw the scene before her. Daryl quickly moved away, leaning back against the truck next to Carol, and she put her hand against her mouth and stared at her daughter, fear gripping her by the throat and almost choking her.

"Mom?" Sophia asked, looking back and forth between Carol and Daryl.

"Honey," Carol said quietly, "let's go inside, ok?" She took a step toward her daughter, and Sophia furrowed her brows.

"Kirby has to go again."

"I'll take him," Daryl offered, moving up the path and reaching out for Kirby's leash. He gave her a nod, and she slowly handed the leash over. Carol placed her hand on Sophia's shoulder and gave Daryl a worried look. Daryl gave her a little nod before she ushered Sophia into the house.

"You probably have a lot of questions," Carol said quietly as she shut the door.

"Are you gonna marry Daryl?"

"Honey," Carol said softly, leading her daughter to the kitchen. She pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. "Go on. Have a seat." Sophia sat and Carol sat down across from her at the table. "I didn't exactly mean for you to see that."

"Is Daryl gonna be my dad?" Her eyebrows were raised, and Carol swallowed a lump in her throat.

"You like Daryl?"

"Uh-huh. He's nice. And he's nice to you," Sophia said quietly. "Daddy's mean and yells all the time. I don't want to go home, because he'll make us go to California, and I don't want to."

"I know you don't, sweetie," Carol said softly.

"So maybe we can live with Daryl instead, so we don't have to go."

"Honey, it's not that simple," Carol said softly. Sophia nodded slowly and looked down.

"We don't have to move to California do we?"

"No," Carol said gently. "I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen, ok?"

"Ok," Sophia said gently. "Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you love Daryl?" Carol hesitated for a moment before leaning over to place her hand over Sophia's.

"Daryl's a very nice man. He's done a lot for us, you know? He's helped us when he didn't have to. He helped us because he wanted to. He's a very good man." She gave her daughter a smile, hoping that would satisfy her for now. Sophia just gave her a look, a look she knew all too well as one that silently said 'I'm not five, you know?'

"Ok," Sophia said with a shrug. "Mom, can we camp outside tonight?"

"Outside?" Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! I found a tent in the shed outside. Oh, can we, please?"

"You'll have to ask Daryl if he'd like to set it up," Carol replied with a little smile. Sophia's eyes brightened, and she scurried out of the chair faster than Carol could blink. With a little chuckle, Carol stood and moved through the house to stand at the screen door. She watched as Sophia bounded down the path toward Daryl and was excitedly asking him about the tent in a matter of moments. Daryl looked up, bewildered, and he caught Carol standing at the door. She gave him a little smile and a shoulder shrug, and then Sophia was tugging Daryl by the hand out back toward the shed with little Kirby excitedly running along with them.

With a shake of her head, Carol couldn't help but feel the tears well up in her eyes at the idea that maybe someday Sophia would know what it felt like to grow up in a happy family. This little glimpse had her heart fluttering, and then her stomach was twisting into knots, because if there was anything Carol had ever been able to count on in life, it was that just when she thought everything was going to be ok, the world would fall out from under her once again.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"This is so much cooler than camping in the backyard!" Sophia hopped out of the back of the truck and shrugged her overnight bag onto her shoulder. Daryl helped Kirby out of the back and felt Carol's hand on his back when he watched Sophia hurry over to the tent he'd set up in a clearing in the woods. They weren't too far off from the road, but they were far enough out that Sophia could feel like she was truly getting the full camping experience. Still, they were close enough to the road and to cell phone towers that Daryl could still pick up a signal on both of his phones. That way, he and Carol could both be at ease and maybe even be able to enjoy their night.

"Maybe sometime we can all go campin' in the mountains. Might wake up with a mountain lion eatin' your toes though." Sophia giggled at that, and Carol couldn't help but feel her smile falter for a moment. Hearing Daryl speak of the future when that future was so uncertain was a little unsettling, and it had her stomach twisting into knots.

"Can we make the s'mores now?" Sophia asked. Without missing a beat, Carol grabbed the sack of groceries Daryl had picked up on the way to the campsite.

"Alright, we've got chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers," Carol announced, as Daryl got to work building a fire.

"Soph, why don't you get in there and get the tent ready for you and your mama?" Daryl asked.

"But where will you sleep?" Sophia asked. "It might get cold."

"Don't you worry 'bout me, kiddo. My favorite thing to do when I was a little kid was sneak out and sleep in the back of my daddy's pickup. It'll do me just fine." Sophia eyed him for a moment before nodding.

"C'mon, Kirby." She patted her leg and made a kissing noise, and the dog followed her to the tent. Carol smiled anxiously as she moved to kneel on the ground where Daryl was trying to get a fire going. She focused the beam of a flashlight where his hands were making quick and steady work, and she could see smell the wisps of smoke that rose up into the cool night air.

"Thank you," she said softly, when the first glow of a flame appeared.

"Ain't nothin'. Been makin' fires my whole life," he said with a shrug. Carol smiled at that, as he gently pushed leaves and twigs around the glow to feed the flame. Within moments, an ample fire was building, and Carol was helping Daryl stock it with kindling.

"I wasn't thanking you for the fire," Carol said softly a while later, as they stood admiring the view the embers popping off of the flames, floating into the air and disappearing into blackness above. The popping of bark against flame was somehow a comforting sound as Carol pulled her arms around herself for warmth. Daryl turned his head to look at her. "I was thanking you for this. For giving Sophia something happy to remember. I don't think I've ever seen her so happy. This past week has been…" She felt the lump rise in her throat, and she blinked back tears. "Thank you." Daryl reached out, taking her hand, and he gave it a little squeeze.

"When this is over with, we'll do this again. We'll make a habit of it."

"Stop," she murmured, stepping away. Daryl turned then, watching as she crossed the camp to stand on the other side of the fire. He watched the way the tears glimmered in her eyes, the way she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, the way her fingers stretched at the sleeves of her shirt as a nervous habit.

"M'sorry," he said quietly. "I wasn't thinkin'." He chewed at the side of his thumb for wiping his hands on his pant legs. He stepped around to stand next to her again. "I ain't tryin' to pressure you into somethin'."

"It's not that," Carol murmured, keeping an eye on the tent, where she could hear Kirby yipping as Sophia got her sleeping bag ready.

"What is it?" he asked quietly. "Talk to me."

"I just keep waiting," she murmured. "I keep waiting for it to happen. What's coming. I feel like…like I can't breathe sometimes. I wake up in the middle of the night, and I just…I expect Ed to be there. Or I expect to wake up in that bed in that house and have Ed right beside me, because this person?" She gestured toward herself. "This person isn't who I thought I'd be. I never had the courage to do what I did. Until you found me." She lifted her gaze to his, and she watched him duck his head a little.

"It's gonna work out," he promised.

"You can say that," Carol said softly. "You can say it and be sure, but every time I try to let myself think that it's going to be ok, I just keep remembering that I thought Ed was my knight in shining armor. He was the one that was supposed to make everything ok again." She swallowed hard. "And he took me out of one nightmare of a life and put me into another completely different nightmare."

"It ain't gonna be like that with us. If you make the choice, if you want to be with me, it would never be like that." Carol shivered then under his gaze, and she nodded.

"I believe it, but I'm afraid to," she whispered.

"You can't be afraid to be happy. When Ed's gone, when he can't hurt you no more, you're gonna get to be happy, and that's alright. You deserve to be happy." He reached out and took her hands again, squeezing them softly in his own. "If you want me there, I'll be there."

"I do," she whispered. "I want you here. I just want to feel like I can breathe again. When I'm with you, I can breathe, and it's the best feeling I've ever felt next to holding my little girl in my arms for the first time."

"Mama?" Sophia interrupted. "Can we make s'mores, _now?_ " Carol chuckled and wiped away the tears that she felt at the corners of her eyes.

"Alright. Let's find some really good marshmallow roasting sticks," Carol said softly. "You want to help?" Sophia nodded eagerly, and they hurried off with the flashlight to gather a few branches.

Daryl settled down next to the fire and started opening the packages, getting the chocolate on the graham crackers and popping out a few large marshmallows. When the girls returned, they set about roasting the marshmallows over the fire.

Sophia was a little apprehensive about the flame, so Daryl handed his stick over to Carol and moved over to help her.

"See? You gotta turn it like this so it gets toasted all over." Carol watched the way Daryl gently held his hand over Sophia's to help her get the knack for it, and he then stepped back and watched her, making sure she didn't get too close to the flames.

Sophia giggled as her marshmallow caught fire.

"Alright, pull it outta the fire, Soph. I think it's crispy now." Sophia laughed and she pulled the flaming puff out of the fire before blowing on it. A sweet smoke curled through the air, and Carol watched as Daryl helped Sophia master the art of pulling the marshmallow off of the stick using the rest of the s'more. "Alright, take a bite. Careful. Don't burn yourself." Sophia took a little nibble, and her eyes went wide as the sweetness hit her tongue. And then she looked at her mother and covered her mouth with her hand before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?" Carol asked, putting one hand on her hip.

"Um, I think your marshmallow's done," Daryl said with a smirk. Carol turned her gaze to the charred, flaming mess of goo that was running off the end of her stick. A trail of fire was slowly creeping up the stick toward her hand.

"Shit!" Carol hissed, dropping the stick into the fire.

"S'alright. We got plenty. Right, Soph?"

"Yeah, but you better show Mom, 'cause I think she needs help," Sophia teased.

"Sophia! Is that any way to talk to your mother?" Carol admonished playfully. Sophia ducked her head and giggled again, while Daryl whispered something to the girl that made her laugh even more, and Carol shook her head. "What am I going to do with you two?"

...

Carol came walking out of the tent and zipped it up to keep the mosquitoes out. Daryl was just rolling out a few blankets in the truck bed. He tossed a couple of pillows back and looked up as Carol approached the truck.

"She's out like a light," Carol whispered, chuckling softly. "I'm surprised with the—what was it—four s'mores she ate?"

"She got herself all excited. Tuckered herself out," Daryl said with a little smile. Carol grinned back at him, and he held his hand out.

"What?"

"You wanna come sit with me for a while? Just 'til you're ready to get some sleep?"

"Ok," she said with a bashful smile, taking his hand and letting him help her up into the truck bed. "This is cozy."

"C'mere," he murmured, scooting back and propping the pillows up so they'd have something to lean back against. Carol scooted back, and Daryl produced two beers from a cooler nearby.

"You think of everything huh?"

"You want one?"

"Oh, why not? I'm not a beer drinker, but when the setting is right…yeah, I could go for one." She smiled as he popped the tops and handed her one. She took a sip and winced at the taste, and he smirked. "I told you."

"I'll drink yours if ya don't want it." He reached for the bottle, and she tugged her hand away.

"Nope. Not sharing," she replied with a little grin. She sighed softly and took another couple of swigs of the drink before she put her bottle aside. "This is nice."

"Yeah," he murmured.

"Sophia had fun. So did I." She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was in my head, and I just…"

"You don't gotta apologize for that," Daryl said quietly. "Don't ever gotta apologize for feelin' what you're feelin'." He gently rubbed her back, and she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them back up to stare into his.

"The first time Ed and I had sex after we were married, I felt…he treated me like he did before. When he was just a John, and I was just…" She shook her head. "There were a lot of men, and I don't want you to think…"

"Stop," Daryl said quietly. "It don't matter. The only thing that matters about the past is who it makes you as a person now. And you're worth it. You're worth waitin' for, 'cause I know what's comin' is somethin' special. And I ain't even talkin' about…you know, about sex. I'm talkin' about what we could have together." He cleared his throat. "I ain't so good at this."

"I think you're better than you think," she said sweetly. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I don't…I can't apologize for what I was. I won't. I did what I had to do at the time. And while I do wish I could go back and change things, I would never change having Sophia. Not for a second." She took a deep breath. "I've never been with a man who just wants to be there with me, who wants to spend time with me and not have it mean just sex." She took his hand in hers. "I feel like I'm going crazy. Like meeting you should have happened years ago. I wish I'd met you before."

"I'm here now," he offered. "And I ain't leavin'. I told you that. I'm here for this, whatever happens."

"I don't know if I'm ready," she murmured. "But I don't want to be afraid to be close to someone. I don't want to forget this feeling I have right now. This feeling that…that everything can be good. That I can be happy. That I can be with you." She leaned in then, and her lips brushed over his. "I don't want to be afraid."

"I won't hurt you," he promised. "Wouldn't ever."

"I trust you," she murmured softly. "And when I'm ready, when we're both ready, I want this." She placed her hand against his chest. "Do you understand?" He nodded.

"I want it too," he murmured quietly.

"I want to try," she whispered. "I just need some patience. A little time." Daryl nodded.

"I get it," he murmured. "And I ain't gonna push you. Whatever you need, I'm here. Just, you gotta tell me when to stop." Carol nodded then, and she gently tucked her fingers inside of his shirt. "I wanna show you somethin'." Carol nodded then. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she certainly didn't expect him to strip his shirt off. He turned his back to her then, showing her the scars she'd seen that morning on the lawn that seemed so long ago.

She gently placed her hand on his back, fingers trembling as she traced the outlines of his scars.

"I was a rookie cop on a domestic disturbance call. House had a white picket fence, a dog in the yard, a swing set in the backyard. The wife called the cops, said her husband was trying to kill her." He bowed his head briefly, as Carol's hands moved over him slowly, as if easing away the painful memories. "We get in the house, and she's locked herself in her room. Husband's nowhere to be found, you know? So we try to get her to open the door. She ain't talkin'. She's just in there cryin', and they got two little kids curled up in the next room, holdin' onto each other, crying and screamin'. We got 'em outta the house, and I go back to try to get the mom out. Door's unlocked, so I figure she had a change of heart. I walk in, and I don't see her. Turns out, she's hidin' behind the door, traumatized, thinkin' her husband's come back for her." He turned then to face Carol, and he saw the tears in her eyes. "Took a hundred and thirty four stitches to sew me up. Lost a lot of blood."

"God," Carol murmured. "That must have been so terrifying."

"They put me on leave for a few weeks. Was watchin' the news, and it turns out, the dad came back, killed his wife and the two kids, and then he killed himself. And all I could think about was how I should've been more careful. Should've done more to help that woman."

"What could you have done?" Carol asked softly, reaching up to stroke the side of his face. "You can't put that on yourself." She blinked then, swallowing slowly as she moved her hands away from him. "What happened to your mother…you can't put that on yourself either." She blinked back tears. "Daryl, I don't want to be something that you have to fix. I don't want to be the one that you have to save because you couldn't save them."

"It ain't like that," he said quickly, pulling his shirt back over his head and turned to take her hand in his. "Maybe at first…I won't lie. I thought, no, I couldn't let it happen again. But then I saw you. I saw who you are, how much you love your girl, how much fire you got inside you and you don't even know it. I wanna be here, 'cause I ain't never felt this way about nobody before. And I don't wanna scare you away. I don't want ya to think I'm tryin' to fix you. I wanna help you, 'cause I want ya to be ok. I want you to have a chance, 'cause I want _us_ to have a chance."

Carol shivered then, and she took a deep breath, bringing one hand up to his cheek. She sighed softly before leaning in and pressing her lips against his. What he'd thought would be a quick, thankful kiss turned into something quite different in a matter of moments. She was throwing one leg over him, straddling his hips, and she was kissing him hungrily as her fingers knotted into his hair.

"Carol," he murmured, moving his hands down to grip her hips. "Hey…" She pulled back then, breathing heavily as she looked into his eyes. "S'alright. Don't gotta rush this." She nodded then, a smile playing over her lips, and then she leaned down, kissing him softly, slowly, leaning into him, her chest pressing against his, two heartbeats finding a rhythm together as he shifted, crawling over her, laying her back against the blankets.

She moaned softly as she felt the comforting weight of him over her, and she curled her arms around his neck to bring him closer. He heart hammered against her chest, and she closed her eyes as he pressed soft kisses to her neck and throat. And her body responded in an instant, a heat flooding her core as she felt the effects of their closeness on him. He pressed into her, and she gasped, the evidence of his arousal unmistakable as he gently thrust against her.

She bit her lip, closing her eyes as she let the desire seep in and consume her, and she lifted one leg to drape over his waist, which brought him closer, made the friction that much greater, made her cry out as he bucked his hips against hers again.

"M'sorry," he murmured. "We gotta stop."

"I know," she whispered. "I know." She buried her face against his neck for a moment, taking in the scent of him, holding him tighter, closer, not wanting the moment to end. But she knew it had to. They had to stop. They had to wait. It wasn't time. Not yet, anyway.

"You should go. Get some sleep," he offered. Carol chuckled underneath him, and he rolled off of her. She lay there for a moment, staring up at the night sky.

"I think I'll finish my beer first," she said with a grin, sitting up and grabbing for the bottle. They both scooted back against the pillows, and Carol leaned her head against Daryl's shoulder, closing her eyes and taking a sip as she waited for her heart to stop racing. Daryl's phone buzzed, and Carol moved, letting him reaching into his pocket for the phone. It was a text from Rick.

 _Andrea's home safe. Keeping watch tonight. Wife's gonna kill me._

Daryl smirked then, and he quickly tapped out a response.

 _Thanks for this. Call if anything happens._

"Everything ok?" she asked, as Daryl wrapped his arm around her.

"Yep. Everything's fine," he promised, as she leaned her head back on his shoulder, and they sat there listening to the leaves rustling in the wind and the kindling popping in the fire as the night grew darker and the air grew colder. But neither one of them were ready to say their goodnights. If anything, they never wanted this night to end.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

 _"Hey," he murmured, crouching down next to the four-post bed with tiaras embedded on the head and footboards. "Name's Daryl. Nobody here's gonna hurt you. I'm a police officer." He eyed the two children crouched in the corner, holding onto one another. The little girl is screaming, muffling her cries against her big brother's shoulder. "Hey. Hey, I ain't gonna hurt you. Can ya tell me what happened?"_

 _"Daddy was hurting mommy," the boy managed, clutching his little sister tighter._

 _"You the one that called 911?" Daryl asked. The boy nodded, sniffling as the tears ran down his face. "Good. Good. You did a good thing, buddy, alright? You're gonna be ok. I promise."_

 _"Is mommy ok?" he asked._

 _"She's gonna be fine, alright? Can you stand up?" The boy shook his head._

 _"Too scared?" The boy nodded._

 _"It's ok. Hey. C'mon. Just reach out and take my hand, and I'm gonna get you and your little sis outta here. What's your name?"_

 _"Bobby," the boy whimpered._

 _"Ok, Bobby. And what's your sister's name?"_

 _"Julie."_

 _"Julie. Real pretty name," Daryl murmured. The little girl stopped screaming then, and she turned to look at Daryl, her lower lip pouting out as straw-colored hair stuck to her pink little face. "Hey sweetheart. Hey. You got real pretty blue eyes. Yeah. You look like your big brother. Bet he keeps you safe, don't he?" The little girl sniffled and nodded, and Daryl inched closer only for the little girl to recoil against her brother. "Hey. It's alright."_

 _"Daryl? Need a hand?" another rookie asked from the doorway._

 _"Give me a minute, alright?" Daryl asked over his shoulder in gentle tones. "You try and see if you can talk her outta there." He turned back to the kids. "Bobby, what's your mama's name?"_

 _"Misty," he murmured, keeping a tight hold on his sister._

 _"Her name's Misty?" Daryl asked, calling over his shoulder to let the other officers know. "Alright. Hey. Why don't we get you outta here?"_

 _"I got scared," Bobby whimpered. "I'm not a'sposed to have accidents anymore. Dad says." He wiped his runny nose with the sleeve of his dinosaur pajamas._

 _"Hey, that's alright," Daryl murmured. "You ain't in trouble. Let's get you outta here, get you cleaned up. Huh?" The boy looked around before nodding his head. He started to get up, but his little sister began to cry again._

 _"It's ok, Jules. It's ok. Let's go see mommy, ok?" the boy whispered, gently stroking his little sister's back._

 _"You're a real good brother, Bobby," Daryl said gently, standing up and leaning forward with his hands outstretched. "C'mon. Let's get you out of here, ok?" The boy nodded then, and the little girl began to cry harder. Daryl lifted her into his arms and took the boy's hand. A pool of urine was left in the spot he'd been sitting, and the boy hung his head in shame. "Hey. Don't worry about that, ok? You don't worry about that for a second. I got you, ok?"_

 _"Promise?" the boy asked, looking up at him with big, brown eyes._

 _"I promise. C'mon." The little girl clung to Daryl and cried against his neck as he led the boy out of the house._

 _He watched as social services wrapped the kids in blankets and took them off in a car, and he ran his fingers through his shaggy hair, an unsettling guilt hitting him right in the gut._

 _"She's quiet. If she ain't dead, she's hiding." Daryl looked up at the words of one of the other officers, and he swallowed hard._

 _"I'm goin' back in," he murmured._

 _"You crazy? If she ain't opening the door, she doesn't want help."_

 _"We're cops, asshole. It's our job. And I made those kids a promise. If she's still alive, then she's scared to death, and I'm going back in after her."_

 _"You should wait, man, I'm telling you." Daryl eyed the man who took a pull on a cigarette before tossing it to the ground. Without words, Daryl turned and headed back into the house, peering around each corner in case the father was lurking somewhere._

 _"Ma'am? Misty? I'm Daryl Dixon. I'm a police officer. Your kids are safe."_

 _"Stay away! Stay away!" he heard the screams from the back bedroom and took off in a sprint down the carpeted hall. His pulse pounded in his ears as the screams grew louder. The only thing he could think was that the dad was still there and was hurting her, and he couldn't let that happen. Not when he'd promised those kids that everything would be ok._

 _The screams were deafening as he approached the door, finding that it was still locked._

 _"Stand back!" he hollered, drawing his gun as he began to kick the door in._

 _"Go away! Stop! Just go away! Leave us alone!" Two more kicks, and he had the door splintering at the bolt and swinging on the hinge. The first thing he saw was the bulb in the knocked over lamp flickering next to the overturned mattress. His breath caught in his chest, and he heard the whimper behind him. Before he could turn, he felt the sting of tearing flesh and warm blood trickling down his back and seeping into his clothes. Then he felt the tearing again, the sting of sharp steel against muscle, and he fell forward as the pain came again and again._

 _And then he heard the whimpers and the dull clatter of steel against carpet._

 _"Oh God! Oh God! What did I do? What did I do? I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I thought…" And then sobs again. As he turned his head, the last thing he saw before everything went black was the bruised and bloody tear-stained face of woman clinging to the wall and recoiling like she was about to be hit._

...

Daryl's eyes flew open as he let out a sharp gasp, and his first instinct was to reach for a gun or something close by. But the first thing he realized was that it had all been a dream, and the second thing he realized was that his arm felt significantly heavier than usual. Carol. He blinked into the dying orange glow of the fire to see Carol sleeping soundly at his side, curled against him with her head resting on his shoulder. He groaned softly, shifting himself slightly to pull his arm out from under her. Without missing a beat, he gently rested her head back against the pillow and scooted to the edge of the truck bed, fishing for a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket.

His fingers shook as he lit one up, and he took a long drag. He ran his hand over his scratchy chin and let the smoke out, watching it twist up into the sky and disappear into the pitch black up above.

"What time is it?" she asked from behind him, moaning softly as she stretched and yawned and sat up. "God, I fell asleep out here?"

"Yeah. After that beer, you sorta crashed," he said quietly, as she scooted down to sit next to him, hanging her legs over the tailgate. Carol put her hand on his shoulder, feeling him trembling under her touch.

"Are you ok?"

"Mmm. Dreams."

"Oh. Yeah." She gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Me too." She eyed him. "You want to talk about it?"

"Nah. I've already dealt with it. Just…comes up sometimes. S'alright." He reached up and took her hand from his shoulder, lacing their fingers together. "You ok?"

"Fine," she promised. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she shivered.

"You should get inside," he said with a nod toward the tent. "Gonna rain."

"What about you?"

"I'll sleep in the cab if I have to," he replied quietly. "You should go." He brushed a mosquito off of her cheek, and she smiled.

"You sure you're ok, Daryl?"

"Yeah. Just…need a smoke." Carol nodded then, and she leaned in to press her lips against his. Just as she pulled back, Daryl's cell phone began to vibrate, and Daryl scrambled to find it amongst the sheets. Carol took a deep breath as she watched Daryl peer at the illuminated screen. He tapped the screen and brought the phone to his ear. "What happened?"

 _"You need to get back to the lake house. Now."_

"Rick, what's…"

 _"Don't have time to talk. Just get there. Now."_ Daryl swallowed hard and looked at Carol, watching as her eyes widened with anxiety and fear. The line went dead, and Daryl lowered the phone from his ear.

"What's going on?" Carol asked softly.

"We gotta go."

"What?"

"Don't know. Rick just said…he said we gotta get back to the lake house."

"What? Why?!"

"Don't know, but we gotta go."

"Daryl, I don't know…"

"Trust me. Rick's a good guy." Carol swallowed down the fear and nodded, stepping down out of the truck and hurrying to start gathering their things. Daryl looked back at his phone and quickly tapped out a text.

 _What happened to Andrea?_

He waited a few moments, and finally the screen lit up again.

 _She's fine. You coming?_

Daryl texted him back to confirm, and then he hopped out of the truck to help Carol gather their things.

...

Dale Horvath wiped down the last booth of the night as Irma flipped off the switch to the neon OPEN sign. A few of the servers were divvying up tips at the counter, while the last remaining busboy took his load of dishes to the kitchen for the washer.

Irma peered out the window as the storm clouds began to roll in, and she shivered. The lake was certain to be having bad weather tonight, and it was all she could do to keep herself from calling up there and checking on them.

"They'll be alright," Dale said quietly, stepping up behind her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed a little, placing her hand over his and giving his fingers a squeeze.

"Something doesn't feel right, honey," Irma said with a shake of her head. "I have a bad feeling. I think we need to get up to that lake and check on them."

"Would you feel better if I called Jim and asked him to look in on the place?" Irma sighed and moved away from the door.

"You're right. I'm sure they're fine." She moved to start wiping down the countertop, as Dale retreated to the kitchen to make sure the fryers and ovens were off. The staff finally finished their last tasks for the night and headed out before the rain started. Irma moved to pour out the last of the coffee into two mugs for herself and Dale, and then she washed the pot thoroughly before bringing the mugs to one of the booths. Dale joined her in a few minutes and they sat down to enjoy a hot cup before heading home.

"Do you think any of it's true?" Dale finally asked. "Any of what that man's saying on TV, I mean?"

"It's not our business," Irma said with a raised eyebrow.

"We helped them, Irma. What if that little girl is in danger?"

"Dale, you saw how terrified that woman was. You saw the bruises. It doesn't matter what that man says about her, if anything he says is true, I know fear when I see it. I know abuse when I see it. That woman was abused, and that little girl needs her mother." Irma took a sip of hot coffee. "I listen to that man speak on the television, and all I can think is that he's hiding something, that he wants us to feel sorry for him. He doesn't seem that upset that they're gone, only worried that he's lost something he was trying desperately to hold onto. It's not love. It's something else. I'm a good judge of character. I should know. I married you, dear." Dale made a face at her but shrugged his shoulders. He knew his wife was right. He didn't have a good feeling about any of it, but he certainly didn't have a good feeling about Ed Peletier.

Thunder shook the little diner, and Dale finished his cup first.

"We should get going. I want to get home before the storm hits." Irma nodded and handed him her half-empty cup. She moved to the door while Dale went to clean up, and she was just about to peek out of the blinds when lightning illuminated the shape of someone standing on the sidewalk outside. Irma jumped, letting out a startled scream as a coffee mug shattered to the kitchen floor.

Dale came running out, rushing to his frantic wife's side.

"Irma, what is it?" he asked, just as the doorknob began to rattle. He helped her over to a booth and settled her down before moving to the door. "We're closed!"

"Irma Horvath?" the figure asked. Irma's eyes widened, and she swallowed hard as the figure reached into the raincoat and retrieved something shiny. A badge. "Atlanta P.D. Could you please open the door, ma'am?" Irma's hands shook as she unlocked the door and let the officer in. "I need to ask you and your husband a few questions regarding the disappearance of Daryl Dixon, Carol Peletier and her daughter Sophia."

...

Sophia was sleeping between them in the cab on the way home. Kirby slept on the floorboard next to Carol's feet, and the silence that filled the air was wrought with tension and anxiety.

"You're sure you trust him?" Carol asked softly as Daryl took the rounded curve by the lake. They were almost there.

"With my life," Daryl murmured, hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. "Whatever happened, I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to you, you understand?" Carol said nothing, but he could see her nod out of the corner of his eye as the beams from an incoming car illuminated the cab momentarily.

"Maybe you should try calling him again?" Carol suggested.

"Nah, let's just get back, see what's goin' on." As soon as he turned down the street that led to the little lake house, he hit the brakes and sat idling just past the stop sign. "Christ." At least ten police cruisers were outside of Dale and Irma's with their lights flashing.

"Oh God," Carol panted. "Daryl. We have…we have to go! He's found us, and…"

"Breathe," Daryl murmured. "Just breathe. Whatever happens, we're in this together, alright? We keep runnin', we're always gonna be runnin'." He watched as Carol curled her arm around a sleeping Sophia's shoulders, and he slowly started down the street. Carol was shaking, and he reached over to put his hand on her knee, giving her a gentle squeeze to let her know he was there.

"Don't let them take her," she whispered with her eyes closed. For a brief moment, he thought she was speaking to him, but it didn't take long for him to realize she was praying. "Please don't let them take my baby. Please don't let them take her."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"My mom's not in trouble is she?" Sophia asked with wide eyes as she stood with her arms protectively around her mother's waist. The flashing lights were almost blinding in the dead of night.

"First of all," the police woman said with a smile, kneeling down on the ground in front of Sophia, "we're so happy to see you safe, Sophia. My name's Michonne, and I'm going to take you over here to sit with this nice lady for some hot cider, ok?" There was a woman standing near a shiny black car with a steaming cup in one hand and a blanket in the other.

"No, I'm not leaving my mom," Sophia whimpered, holding tighter to Carol.

"Ok," Michonne said softly. "That's ok." She reached out and scratched Kirby behind the ears. Kirby was sitting at Sophia's feet and watching the whole scene play out in front of him. He sniffed Michonne's hand and then gave her a lick. "You and your mom are pretty close, huh?" Sophia nodded. "Good. My mom was my best friend until I was fifteen and thought I knew everything. And, well, we're the best of friends again." Michonne smiled warmly. Sophia looked up at Carol, who tried her best to give her daughter a smile. It came off tense and strained, and Sophia curled in closer to her.

"Sophia, you remember me?" Rick asked quietly, kneeling down next to Michonne.

"Rick," Sophia said softly.

"That's right. You wanna come over here with this nice lady? Give your mama and Daryl a minute with this nice officer?" Sophia chewed her lip nervously and nodded shortly before leaning in toward Rick.

"Don't let them take my mom away, ok?"

"It's ok, Sophia. Don't worry," Carol finally said, giving her daughter a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "I'll be right here." Sophia whimpered softly and took a firm grasp of Kirby's collar. "Don't worry. I'm right here." Sophia nodded then, and she let Rick take her over to the lady with the cup and the blanket. Michonne cleared her throat and stood to face Carol and Daryl, and a few moments later, Rick re-joined them.

"Alright, what's goin' on?" Daryl asked. "Why'd you bring us here? And why the hell you got this circus out here?" Rick cleared his throat and glanced at Michonne before looking back at Daryl.

"Daryl," Rick warned, "Ed broke into Andrea's tonight before I even got her home. He was waiting on her."

"God," Carol gasped softly. "Is she ok?"

"I had her set up with a wire. We got everything. 'Course, he beat the livin' shit out of her in the process."

"Oh my God," Carol murmured, clutching her stomach as the overwhelming urge to vomit hit her.

"She's gonna be alright. On top of them broken ribs she already got, she's got a concussion, but she's ok. She's with her ex and their little boy someplace safe."

"When you say you got it all…what are we talkin' about here?" Daryl asked, eyes anxiously scanning Rick and Michonne's faces.

"She invited him in, told him she had some information in exchange for her son's safety. Offered him a drink. Good thing he's got loose lips with a little whiskey in him."

"What did he…"

"She fed him some story about how Carol contacted you, how you were taking them down to Savannah. She kept pouring the drinks, and he kept taking them. She told him she saw the news reports, was talking to him like she believed everything he said. He was goin' on and on about how he was gonna destroy you and Daryl."

"And how he'd set you straight when he got his hands on you," Michonne continued, picking up where Rick left off, remembering everything she'd heard on the playback of the feed Rick had had her listen to. "He said he had a lead, about Daryl's truck being spotted a few counties over, pulled over in a drug bust. He said he'd be coming after you, and he all but spelled out his plans to put you in the ground. We have him telling Andrea all about how he planted those drugs, how you'd never win Sophia in a custody battle, because…" Rick cleared his throat and gave a little shake of his head as if to tell her she didn't need to say anything more. "The point is, the charges against you and Daryl…Officer Dixon have been dropped." Carol let out a slow, deep breath. "But we need to get the facts straight. What he's lied about, what he's been truthful about. I'm afraid this isn't going to be very flattering for you, Mrs. Peletier."

"It doesn't matter," Carol murmured. "As long as he's punished, I don't care. As long as Sophia's safe, nothing else matters."

"The media's going to be tough. And Ed…well, we've already seen what he's capable of when it comes to swaying an audience."

"Christ," Daryl murmured, reaching for Carol's hand.

"He's sick," Carol murmured.

"When Ed attacked Ms. Harrison, Rick alerted the authorities to what he and Daryl had helped you do. And he told us about the Horvath's involvement. We have an officer with them right now. They're going to be taking them someplace safe. And we need to move you, because when this gets out, you won't be safe here. We want to assure you that when Mr. Peletier is found—"

"When he's found?" Carol asked, eyes wide. "What do you mean? Where is he? You don't have him?"

"I got through the door as soon as he put Andrea on the ground. He was gone before I could make the arrest," Rick admitted. Carol felt sick again, and she leaned forward, gripping her stomach. Daryl gently rubbed her back, soothing her as she choked out a sob.

"S'gonna be alright."

"It's not alright," Carol murmured, shaking her head. "It's not alright. I want to see her. I want to make sure she's ok."

"She and her family have been taken to a safe house tonight," Michonne said softly. "And we're going to do the same for you." Michonne glanced over Carol's shoulder to see a big news van pulling down the street. "Come on. Let's go."

"What's going on?" Carol asked, turning to see the bright lights of a camera as a news reporter hopped out of the side of the van.

"Mrs. Peletier! Mr. Dixon!" the man called from across the yard.

"Oh God," Carol murmured.

"Come on. We're taking you someplace safe. Come on," Michonne urged. Carol looked down with Daryl put his hand on her shoulder, and then she met his gaze.

"It's alright. Let's get outta here." She swallowed hard and nodded, following Michonne and Rick toward the black car, where Sophia was already inside wrapped in a blanket and drinking hot cider. Kirby whimpered with his head in her lap before Daryl and Carol scooted in on either side of them. The woman that had been with Sophia handed the keys over to Rick, and he and Michonne hopped in the front.

"You're going with us?" Carol asked.

"We're not leaving you," Rick promised. "We're taking you someplace safe."

"We're not staying here at the lake?" Sophia asked, eyes wide.

"No, honey," Carol murmured.

"Mom, I'm scared," she whispered.

"Don't be afraid, honey. It's gonna be ok," Michonne said from the front seat.

"But I like the lake house," Sophia said softly, staring out the window as they pulled out onto the road and sped away.

...

The drive was long, and Carol shivered as they seemed to be getting further into the rural areas. She didn't mind being away from the city, but knowing Ed was out there looking for her had her shaken to the core. She felt better knowing she had three police officers in her presence, though one of those officers was being hunted just as much as she was.

Sophia had fallen asleep with her head on Daryl's shoulder, and he'd put his arm around her, fingers brushing gently over Carol's shoulders.

"The place is great. It's big, roomy, and best of all, it has a security system."

"Whose place is it?" Carol asked.

"Actually, it's mine. Well, my husband has this obsession with old houses," Michonne said quietly. "He bought this one, wanting to move us in, but it was too far away from the city, too far away from work. So, we're in the process of trying to sell it, but it's fully furnished and gorgeous. And best of all, safe." She smirked. "He keeps telling me I don't have to work, that I can hang up my badge, but he knows I can't do that. I'm a police officer. It's in my blood, and no amount of money's going to change that. Personally, I think he just wants me to be barefoot and pregnant." Rick chuckled at that.

"Well, you do make an awfully hot pregnant cop," he pointed out.

"Wait…you're married?" Carol asked.

"We met on the force," Michonne said, turning a little in the seat to look at Carol. "No, he gets that being a cop is just as important to me as it is to him. That's why this marriage works so well. Otherwise, I'd probably have kicked his ass out a long time ago." Rick snorted at that, and Carol watched the dynamic between the two of them as he laced their fingers together against the console.

"You have kids?" Carol asked quietly.

"We have one. A little girl named Judith."

"We'll have another this time next year," Rick said with a nod.

"You're pregnant?" Carol asked.

"He wishes," Michonne snorted. Carol couldn't help the smile that pulled on her lips, and she glanced at Daryl, who seemed to have been watching her the whole time. But he wasn't smiling. Instead, he seemed very tense, very on guard, and she reached over to place her hand on his knee, as if to tell him that it was going to be ok. She couldn't understand how they'd suddenly seemed to switch roles. She was a lot calmer than she'd expected, and he seemed agitated.

"We're almost there," Rick announced, pulling down a long drive. The paved path was lined with pine trees, and Carol couldn't see much in the dark, but as they approached the house, the moonlight illuminated the front of an old Victorian-style home with a big bay window in the front and a beautiful stained glass window in the oak door.

"It's beautiful," Carol murmured.

"And trust me, it's not just some old farmhouse. It's state of the art. Rick really fixed the place up."

"Didn't know you did this," Daryl said quietly from the back seat. "Sounds like somethin' you'd tell one of your best friends."

"Hey, you think I'm proud of the fact I got this placed fixed up, and my wife don't wanna live here? I'll sell it to you right now if you want it, brother, 'cause it's just a big damned headache at tax time." Michonne snorted at that.

"Shut up, you know I love it," Michonne replied, leaning over to kiss his cheek. She turned back toward Carol and nodded toward Sophia. "There's a kid's room upstairs, and I think she'll like it just fine," Michonne promised. "Don't mind the baby crib in the corner. We do stay out here occasionally on weekends, and we use that for Judith."

"Thank you for helping us," Carol murmured.

"You're not running anymore," Michonne promised her. "Just remember that. You've got the law on your side, and the laws says Ed Peletier is a criminal."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Carol muttered. Michonne glanced at Rick.

"Trust me," Rick said, turning in his seat as he slid his safety belt off, "if he's got any friends in high places, they ain't gonna let that be known. Come the 7:00 news this morning, Ed Peletier's gonna be one of the most hated men in the country. He's running, but he's hunting, and he's looking to kill. I'm not saying that to scare you. You just need to be ready. You need to know the truth."

"Thank you," Carol murmured. She took a deep breath as Rick cut the engine to the car, and she felt a stirring in the seat beside her.

"Mom?" Sophia asked sleepily, blinking into the darkness of the backseat. "Are we home?"

"We're safe, baby," Carol promised. "We're safe."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Carol shivered as they stepped into the cold house. Rick was the one to reach for the light switch, illuminating the foyer and the den off to the side. Michonne went to the thermostat and turned the heat up a little. The nights were growing colder, and it was only a matter of time before the cold made its way in for a good long time.

Four bedrooms upstairs, a bath in the master bedroom and one down the hall. One downstairs. Fully stocked kitchen. You should be fine for a few days."

"Wait," Carol said soflty, "wh-where are you going?"

"Guest house out back. It's just enough for us since Judy's with my parents," Michonne pointed out. "We have monitors that'll let us know if anybody's outside. If we sense anything's off, we'll call you. And vice versa. If anything feels wrong, or if you hear or see anything, call us."

"Thank you so much," Carol murmured. "You two have been…" She wiped tears from her eyes. "I don't have words."

"Do I have to go back to school?" Sophia asked with a frown.

"Not yet," Michonne promised. "I'm going to go speak with the school board tomorrow and explain the situation. Given the circumstances, I'm pretty sure they won't mind to let you catch up on your own. You haven't missed that much, and I'm betting you're a pretty faster learner."

"Yes, ma'am," Sophia said with a nod.

"Alright, we'll leave you be. Just don't hesitate to call if you need anything," Rick offered from the doorway. Daryl moved toward his friend and shook his hand before pulling him into a hug.

"Thanks for everything, brother," Daryl murmured. "Ya don't know what it means to me." Rick glanced at Carol and Sophia and then back at Daryl before smiling briefly and nodding.

"Yeah, I think I do." Daryl swallowed hard and nodded his head, giving Rick a thump on the back.

"Alright. Thanks again."

"You folks have a good night. Oh, here…" He handed Daryl a piece of paper. "It's the code to set the alarm. Just punch it in and hit stay. When you go to bed, hit the top button. It'll keep the sensors on inside the house. Nobody come downstairs for midnight snacks, though, 'cause you might give us both a heart attack."

"Got it," Daryl said with a nod. Michonne and Rick took their leave, and Carol, Daryl and Sophia stood quietly in the foyer.

"Well, I guess we should get some sleep, hmm?" Carol suggested, putting her hand on Sophia's shoulder.

"I think Kirby has to go first," Sophia replied quietly.

"Ok," Carol said with a nod. "Well, I'll walk out with you and Kirby, then."

"No, you go on up to bed," Daryl murmured. "I got her."

"You sure?" Carol asked softly, reaching out to touch his arm. He chewed his lip and nodded.

"Mmmhmm. Go on."

"Ok," she whispered. She leaned down and gave Sophia a kiss on the cheek and watched as Daryl led the girl and her puppy outside. With a heavy sigh, Carol hoisted her bag over her shoulder and started up the stairs toward the bedrooms.

She turned on the first room she came to, and it was a bathroom with a full, claw-foot tub and a wrap around shower curtain. She smiled at the sight of it and flicked off the light, padding down the hall to the next room. It was a little girl's room with plush, purple carpet and porcelain dolls lining the shelves. She smiled, stepping into the room and picking up one of the dolls, running her fingers over the smooth curves of the face. Fragile and beautiful, frozen in time.

She turned toward the corner where an oak crib sat with princess themed sheets and bumper pads. She smiled sadly, thinking back to when Sophia was that age and she'd thought that maybe, maybe things would be better. Sophia deserved better. She deserved so much more than Carol had given her so far, and in that moment, she made a vow that her daughter would be happy from now on. She'd see to it that Ed would simply be a memory that would fade over time. It was her hope, anyway.

The next room was a small bedroom with a Queen sized bed and a beautiful quilt folded neatly at the end of it. She smiled, stepping into the room and running her hand over the old oak bed frame, wondering why anybody would pass up living in a beautiful place like this. It was so much like the houses she dreamed of living in when she was a child. It was beautiful, warm, and it just felt like home.

The next room was the master bedroom. It was a little bigger with an even bigger bed. It looked comfortable and inviting and all Carol wanted to do was crawl under the covers and sleep away the next few days. It wasn't until she sat down at the edge of the bed that she realized how exhausted she was. Her body was achy and weary from the traveling, and she'd been so busy worrying about where Ed was and what he might do that when she had a moment to stop and think that she was safe in this house and Daryl and Sophia were both there, a peaceful calm washed over her, and she yawned.

The alarm beeped briefly as the front door opened downstairs, and Carol quickly hopped up and closed the door to the bedroom before she began rummaging through her bag to find a clean pair of pajamas.

She could hear footsteps on the stairs followed by the clicking of nails on the wood floor, and she knew it was Sophia and Kirby. With a smile, she quickly finished pulling on the black leggings and a long-sleeved white shirt. When she opened the bedroom door, she peeked down the hall to see Sophia looking around the small bedroom with wide eyes.

"You like it?" Carol asked softly.

"Mom, it's better than my room!" Sophia exclaimed. "I wish we could live here." Carol smiled and walked over to join her. She peeked into the room and laughed.

"I think Kirby's trying to tell you it's time for bed," Carol murmured, pointing over to the canopied bed. Kirby was already curled up at the foot of the bed. Sophia giggled, and Carol gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Take off your shoes and go get some sleep, sweetie."

"What time is it?" Sophia asked with a yawn.

"Too early to be awake," Carol chuckled. "Go on. In the morning, I'll make us a big breakfast. Would you like that?"

"Mmmhmm," Sophia murmured before yawning. She kicked her shoes off by the bed and climbed under the covers, and Carol moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. She brushed her daughter's hair back and smiled. "When do I have to go back to school?"

"Soon," Carol said with a little nod and a smile. "We just have to take care of a few things first." She swallowed hard, and she placed her hand against her own chest.

"Mom? Why were the cops there tonight? Is it about Dad?"

"Yeah, honey," Carol said quietly.

"He's a bad man," Sophia said quietly as the tears filled her eyes. "We don't have to go back to him, do we?"

"No. Never," Carol whispered. "I promise."

...

Carol sat on the edge of the bed in the master bedroom, rubbing her aching neck. She heard the beep of the keypad downstairs as Daryl set the alarm. And within moments, he was coming up the stairs. She stared out into the hallway, watching as he came into view, turning his head slightly to see her kicking her feet back and forth, toes brushing over the rug.

"Hey," he murmured. "Thought you'd be sleepin'."

"I wanted to wait for you," she said quietly. "I wanted to talk to you."

"A'right." He shrugged off his bag and put it in the corner with hers for now. "Nice room."

"Yeah," she said quietly. She held her hand out, and he crossed the room, taking her hand in his. "Sit with me." Daryl swallowed hard and sat down next to her on the bed. The springs creaked, and Carol gave his hand a squeeze. "Are you ok?"

"Why you askin' me? Ain't I s'posed to be askin' you that?"

"You were different," she said, running her fingers over the back of his hand. "In the car."

"It's nothin'," he murmured, letting out a deep breath. "Ain't nothin'."

"Sure it is. Talk to me."

"Why are you so damned calm?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "Cops tell you that lunatic husband of yours is out there plannin' on killin' you, and you're just calm. You're fine."

"I feel…free," she admitted. "I don't have to run anymore, and I know I have you here. And Rick and Michonne are here. And I've got my little girl. It's ok. It's really going to be ok. Just like you said it would be."

"He's out there," Daryl murmured, chewing at the side of his thumb. "He's out there, and he could be anywhere, and what the hell are we s'posed to do? What if he never gets caught? We gonna live the rest of our lives hidin' out in a strange house and hopin' he don't come knockin' in the middle of the night?"

"Daryl," Carol urged, "it's ok."

"It ain't ok!" he yelled. Carol flinched, and she got up off the bed, and Daryl hung his head, running his fingers through his hair. "M'sorry. Don't leave. M'sorry." He looked up just as the door was closing, only she wasn't on the other side of it. She was turning the lock and moving to lean back against the door, keeping her eyes on his. "What're you…"

"We survived," she said softly, leaning back against the door with a little smile on her face. "You got us out, you kept us hidden, and in the end, everything turned out the way it was supposed to. Everybody's going to know about Ed's lies. They're going to know about my past, and I think…I think I'm ok with that." She took a few steps toward him. "I'm tired of hiding. I just want to be…me. I could never be me. Not even before Ed. And now? Now I just want to stop hiding from the past. I want to stop being afraid of Ed, because the fear just means he's won." She moved closer, and Daryl watched as she brought her hands to the hem of her shirt. His eyes were fixed on her hands, watching the way her fingers trembled. "When I'm with you, I feel like I'm finally me. I feel like I can tell you anything."

"You can," he promised, bringing his hands to her waist, leaning forward to bury his face against her stomach, sighing heavily. She closed her eyes, running her hands through his hair as the warmth of his breath soaked through her shirt and into her skin. When she opened her eyes and looked down, she was met by his darkening blue gaze. She smiled at him, and she leaned down to brush her lips against his.

"I'm safe with you," she whispered.

"You are," he promised. "Would never hurt you."

"I know," she murmured, nodding as she pushed him back a little and crawled over him, one knee on each side of his hip to straddle him. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and leaned in to kiss him again. "And I'd never hurt you." Her hand ran down his back, feeling the distinct ridges from his scars under the fabric.

"What're you doin'?" he asked, voice low with warning but thick with need.

"I've never made love with anyone," she said softly. "It was always sex. Business. And it felt like business with Ed." She shook her head, trying to push away the thoughts for just a moment. "I've never felt…loved. But when you look at me? When you put your hands on me, and when you kiss me, I feel like…like this is how it's supposed to be." Her voice broke then, and Daryl gently ran his hand up the back of her shirt, his warm, calloused hand soothing away the anxiety building up in her chest. "I'm in love with you, and it scares me to death, because I've never felt like this before." The moment the words were out, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to keep her gaze on his. She couldn't look away. She couldn't make herself smaller to make someone else feel better. If she was going to feel something, she was damned well going to feel it and not push it back or bottle it to make someone else comfortable. She'd lived her whole damned life that way, and if there was any moment better than this, she'd never know.

"Hey," he murmured, gently cupping her cheek with his hand, "you ain't got nothin' to be scared of." He pressed his lips against her forehead. "I ain't never gonna hurt you. I wanna take care of you. I wanna make you feel good." He pressed his lips against her neck. "I love you." He felt her tremble in his hands then, and he searched her face as a tear slipped down her cheek. And then she was kissing him, lips parting as her tongue slid against his lips and prompted him to open up to her.

He moaned softly as she pushed into him, crawling over him as he lay back against the bed. His hands were shaking against her hips as her hands moved up his shirt, fingers trailing over the toned muscle and the smattering of hair over his chest.

She shivered when his hands began to tug at her shirt, and she trembled, hands shaking as she moved them down to his and gently pushed them away. At his puzzled look, she smiled, and then she pulled her shirt over her head. He wasted no time in pressing kisses down her throat and chest, bending to kiss her breasts, sucking a nipple into his mouth slowly, gently, teasing it with the tip of his tongue.

She gasped at the feeling as a rush of heat pulled toward her core. She gripped his shoulders as he teased her, and she squeezed her knees around his hips, grinding down on his lap to try to ease the tension between her legs.

"Daryl," she panted, squeezing his shoulders as he teased the other breast.

"You ok? This is ok?"

"Don't stop," she whimpered, biting her lip as his hand moved down her back and over her ass. She whimpered, grinding down on him again, feeling the effects of her moving around on him.

"C'mere," he murmured, holding her close and turning to lay her back on the bed. He knelt over her, tugging off his own shirt before he dipped down to kiss her belly, swirling his tongue around the belly button as she bit her lip to stop from giggling.

Her stomach muscles jumped as he moved down lower, kissing above the waistband of her pants, and she covered her face with her hands as he gripped her hips and began to slide her panties and leggings off in one movement.

"Hey," he murmured, pausing just before he exposed her. "Look at me." She moved her hands and looked down at him, face red and lips trembling. "If you ain't ready…"

"I am," she promised. "I just…"

"I know," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her bare hip. He took his time then, undressing her slowly, first sliding one leg out, then the other, pressing a warm kiss to the inside of her thigh. She wasn't sure what he was going to do next, and her legs shook with anticipation. But then he was standing up and pulling off the rest of his clothes, and she lay back, her gaze slowly moving down his toned stomach to his erection, long and thick as it bounced a little when he moved closer. When her gaze met his she saw the look of uncertainty on his face, and she bit her lip.

"I haven't been with anybody since...just Ed. I had an exam a few months ago. Everything's fine. I'm fine."

"S'been a while. I'm clean," he promised. "But it ain't that. I just…I don't have anything. Didn't expect…you know?"

"Come here," she murmured, holding a trembling hand out.

"But…" She shook her head as he took her hand, and gently tugged him back down. He landed over her with a flop, and he nearly banged his forehead against hers. She giggled as he buried his face against her neck and sucked gently for a moment. When he pulled back as she wrapped her legs around him, he gently framed her face with his hand and looked down into those beautiful blue eyes. "You sure about this?"

"I know what I want, Daryl. I'm not…this isn't because I'm lonely or because I'm afraid. I've never been this sure of anything." She stroked the back of his neck as her eyes glittered with tears. "Is this what you want?" she asked.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Just don't wanna hurt you."

"You won't," she promised. "I trust you. Just kiss me. Please." He pulled himself back down, pressing his mouth against hers, kissing her softly at first as her legs tightened around his waist. He wanted her, more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life. He knew it was probably not the best idea, going into this without protection, but she wanted this, and he wanted her, and the last thing he wanted to do was deny her in this moment, when she was looking at him like she held every bit of her trust in him.

But then he was moving lower, kissing down her stomach, and he eased her legs apart so she was resting her feet against the mattress.

"What are you doing?" she panted, clutching the sheets between her fingers as she craned her neck to look down at him.

"Shh," he murmured. "Lay back." She bit her lip and did as he asked only to arch her back the moment she felt his mouth between her legs.

"Oh God," she panted. "Daryl…" His hand splayed out against her stomach, calloused and warm, firm but tender as he circled her most sensitive nerves, and everything seemed to blur together. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as a sheen of sweat covered her skin, and she thought her heart would burst straight from her chest.

He sucked and nipped and licked at her until she thought she might faint, and before she knew what hit her, a radiating heat ripped through her and stars burst behind her eyes. He eased off of her, moving back up her as the orgasm rippled through her blood, scorching and soothing her at the same time. He rested his hips against hers, kissing her cheek and then her forehead as she panted and came down from her high beneath him.

"God," she panted," that was…" She couldn't put the words together. Instead, she clung to him, panting against his shoulder until she could feel him pushing at her entrance, and her whole body began to crave him deeper than she did before.

"I'm ready," she whispered, gently nipping at his ear as he moved into position, eyes on her to gauge her reaction. She bit her lip and brought her hand to his face, fingers cool against his warm face. He smiled and turned his face to kiss her fingertips, and then she was pulling him back down, fingers gripping his shoulders as she arched her neck against the pillows.

He kissed her neck and the hollow of her throat, and as he pushed into her, her fingers tightened at his shoulders, and she cried out, heels digging into his calves as she adjusted to the feeling. And he pulled back to look at her, and he tripped the pillows between his fingers, panting as he tried to focus with her heat surrounding him.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Come here," she murmured, arms circling around his shoulders as she raised her hips, urging him to move. He kissed her again, moaning against her mouth as he began to move inside of her, heart thundering against his chest.

Carol closed her eyes, breathing through the ache as he filled and stretched her, biting out her cries against his shoulders as they began to move as one, as her heart filled with more joy than she'd ever known she could experience. Tears filled her eyes and she curled herself closer against him as he made love to her, and as he peppered kisses along her jaw and throat, he pulled back when he saw a tear slip from her eye.

"You ok?" he panted raggedly as he fought to hold his own composure, body trembling with need as he stared down at her.

"Yes," she whispered. "Please," she murmured, kissing his neck. "Please…don't stop." He stared at her for only a moment before Carol's arms tightened around his shoulders, and he began to move again, making love to her slowly, gently, not wanting to cause her any pain. But when her nails dug into his shoulders a little, and she breathed a soft word of encouragement, he began to move faster, making more deliberate thrusts as he reached for her hips and lifted her just enough to change the angle. She cried out as her head hit the pillow, and he felt his own release approaching. He wanted to make it good for her, wanted her to feel the pleasure of another release before he found his own, but he knew he wouldn't last much longer.

He looked down at her, this amazingly imperfect woman who had entered his life and taken his breath away, and he knew he'd never love anybody as much as he loved her in this moment. He felt his chest tighten as the ache in his throat built up, and he leaned down, kissing her once again, breathing against her lips as they moved in a more frantic, needful pace. As her nails gripped his biceps, he reached between them and gently gave her clit a nudge with his thumb. She cried out against his lips then, and with a few more brushes of his thumb against her, she was coming, and she was squeezing him, triggering his own orgasm. He came then, biting out his pleasure against her shoulder before he collapsed atop her, face buried in her neck as he felt the weight of reality come crashing down around them.

He paused then, rolling off of her, and she curled up against him, resting her head against his shoulder, placing her hand against his chest just over his heartbeat.

"We'll get through this," she whispered after a few moments. "We get to be happy. We do. We will be." He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, a silent answer. "Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"Stay with me tonight?" she asked, kissing his chest as she closed her eyes.

"Always," he promised. She smiled, and before either of them could speak again, sleep overtook them both, and they could finally rest.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

This was new. Carol wasn't used to waking up and actually having someone in her bed. Most times, Ed was out the door before she got out of bed, and it suited her fine. Sometimes he demanded she get up and fix him a big breakfast, but that was usually on the weekends, and then he'd go out golfing or fishing or whatever the hell it was he did with his free time.

When the first rays of light began to creep across the floor, bathing the rug in a golden yellow glow, Carol stretched and turned to find Daryl sleeping soundly beside her with half of his face partially buried in the pillow. She smiled a little, biting her lip as she felt the aching muscles in her arms, legs and other places reminding her exactly what had happened in the early morning hours, and she closed her eyes for a moment, reliving each kiss, each stroke of his calloused hand against her skin.

The house was quiet. No creak of a footstep, no scratching at the door by an anxious dog. It was silent and still and peaceful, and Carol felt warm despite the chill in the room. He was still beside her with the sheet covering his lower half. But, unmistakably, there was a lift in the sheets and he was semi-hard. She smiled, gently brushing her hand over his arm. He stirred under her touch, and she sighed softly, rolling over to gently drape herself across his chest. She smiled when she watched his eyes move beneath his lids. He was either dreaming or awake, and she was eager to find out either way.

She pressed a kiss to the center of his chest, and she felt his pulse, strong and steady as his chest rose and fell slowly. Yeah, he was sleeping alright. Her heart swelled in her chest when she saw the hint of a smile on his lips. It was a good dream.

She kissed his neck then, letting her breath warm his skin as she snuggled into him. Still, he didn't stir, and Carol bit back a giggle as she kissed his ear, gently nipping the lobe between her teeth. His breathing changed then, came a little quicker. She curled her fingers at the back of his neck, gently stroking him there as she moved to kiss his lips. When she felt his lips move against hers, she smiled, and then his arms were circling around her, pulling her closer. She moved to straddle his hips then, and she kissed him fully, lazily as his hands stroked up and down her back.

"Morning," she whispered against his lips as her hand snuck under the sheets and gripped him, stroking him, feeling him throb and stiffen under her touch.

"Hey," he murmured, voice scratchy and hoarse from sleep.

"Hey," she replied, a smile spreading over her face as he craned up to kiss her.

"You sleep ok?"

"Like a rock. You?"

"Mmmhmm," he murmured, stretching a little as Carol squeezed him again under the sheets. She was staring directly in his eyes, and his breath caught in his throat. And then he saw the pink fill her cheeks, and she loosened her grip.

"Is…is this ok?"

"Best way I been woke up in a long time," he said with a chuckle. "C'mere." At the grin on her lips, he tugged her down for a deeper kiss, and she moaned softly as his kiss electrified her, sending deep, rolling waves of need through her. She trembled, body aching for him as he reached between them and started to explore her with his fingers, rubbing slow, soft circles around her clit. She bucked her hips against his hand and cried out against his lips until she was writhing on top of him.

"Please," she whispered, hands pressing flat against his chest as her eyes grew heavy with passion and her mouth parted just a bit as she breathed in soft, quick gasps. Daryl gripped himself beneath her and slowly eased home, watching the way her eyes screwed shut and her head fell back as she felt him fill her. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Looking up at her, watching the way her breast swayed with the gentle movements and how the pink flush crept down her neck as she rode him made his heart swell. How the hell he'd managed to find her and find something so precious he never wanted to let go, he'd never known. He'd never considered himself a lucky man, but with her, he felt like he could live without air so long as he had her.

He turned them, slipping out just long enough to ease her onto her back before he filled her again, kissing her slowly, lovingly, caressing her as her body shivered and responded to his in perfect echo.

She clung to him, he realized, holding him like she was afraid he might disappear, and picking up on this, he eased away her anxieties with soft kisses to her forehead and neck. And then she was relaxing against the mattress, fingers grazing over the scars on his back. And they made love together, giving and taking pieces of one another, a silent promise that this was, while new and exciting, an unyielding necessity for the both of them, to love and feel loved at the same time.

...

The house was still. Carol didn't mind the quiet. It was a good quiet, but she was anxious. Sophia was up in her room doing homework, something she really didn't want to do, but when Michonne returned with a whole bag full of missed work, she'd grudgingly gone upstairs to work on it.

Michonne had promised Carol that the school was cooperating with the search for Ed and understood that keeping Sophia safe was the number one priority. While happy that Sophia would be welcomed back, no questions asked, Carol couldn't help but feel the anxiety begin to build inside as she thought about how the other children would treat her given the fact that Ed had aired the family's business all over the media.

She didn't want to teach Sophia to run away from her fears and to avoid the truth at all costs, she wanted to protect her daughter's innocence, and she wanted, more than anything, for Sophia to grow up into strong, confident young woman who could face the truth. But at nine years old, Sophia wasn't nearly ready for that, which was why now, at ten in the morning in the quiet house, Carol was sitting in the den at the computer and researching good schools in the area.

Daryl had gone out with Michonne and Rick to walk around the property, which was much larger in the daylight than the night. There was a big field out back, used by farmers in the summer time, but it was already harvested as the weather was turning cooler. There was an expanse of forest off to the side, which made Carol feel uneasy each time she glanced out the big picture window. It was dark and ominous, and she couldn't help but feel like something, anything could be out there watching her.

Still, she knew she was safe in this house, and she knew that the anxieties were all in her head, because she knew Ed was out there somewhere, and it was still a mystery as to where he might be.

As she finished perusing a website about the local schools, Kirby, who had been sleeping comfortably at her heels, lifted his head. His ears perked up, and Carol looked down to see him as he ducked his head and peered off toward the back of the house.

"What is it, boy?" she asked. "I know. I know. It's a new place. I'm sorry we keep moving you around." She reached down to scratch him behind the ears, and he yelped as if he'd been hurt. "I'm sorry, boy. Come here." She reached down to pick him up, but he took off toward the back of the house, whimpering and yipping. Carol furrowed her brows and hurried off in pursuit at the dog, who was scratching vigorously at the back door in the kitchen when she found him. She reached for his leash that was hanging on the doorknob, and she sighed. "Well, why didn't you say something?" She quickly clipped it onto his collar.

She quickly pushed the numbers on the keypad by the door and unlocked it, stepping out onto the porch as a chilly wind bit at her through the fabric of her clothes. She winced at the feeling but stepped out into the yard with Kirby. But he made no indication that he was going to do his business. Instead, he stood at her side, stock still, and he stared right into the woods. Carol looked down at him as anxiety gripped her again, and she looked in the direction the dog was staring. He began to growl then, and she felt her heart begin to pound.

"Kirby, come on now." She stared, trying to figure out what he was seeing. But there was nothing. She could hear something scurry, probably a squirrel or raccoon, but she saw no sign of anything dangerous. "Are you going to go or not?" Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move in the shadows. She gasped, stepping backward and nearly tripping over Kirby's leash as he began to bark. "Come on. Inside. Now." She started tugging at the leash, but he wouldn't come. "Kirby!" He was baring his teeth, and she felt a cold chill settle against her skin.

Then, she felt the sweep of a hand over her back, and she jumped, glancing over her shoulder to see Daryl standing there. Rick and Michonne were coming around the side of the house, guns drawn.

"Get inside," he murmured quietly, eyes fixed on the dark spaces between the trees. "Go on." Carol tugged at Kirby's collar again, and he gave in, rushing up the steps to the house, beating her there by a few seconds. She let him in as Daryl, Michonne and Rick started toward the woods, and she stood at the door, watching as they disappeared past the tree line. A tightness formed in her throat, and as the lingering cold chill ran up her spine, she thought she might choke.

"Mama?" Sophia asked from the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetie," she lied. Sophia gave her a look of doubt, but Carol quickly shut the door and turned the alarm back on, and ushered her daughter out of the doorway.

"Where is everybody?"

"They're outside. It's ok. Let's go work on your homework."

"Aw, but…"

"Come on. You've got a lot to catch up on."

"But…well, can you help me with my math?"

"I'll do my best," Carol promised. "Come on." Sophia called for Kirby, but he remained by the door, whimpering and scratching.

"What's wrong with him?" Sophia asked sadly.

"Nothing, sweetie. I think he just…saw a raccoon or something. He's fine, baby. Come on." Sophia reluctantly turned and headed toward the stairs, and Carol took one last look at the back door and Kirby trying unsuccessfully to scratch his way through the floor.

 _It's not Ed. He doesn't know where I am. He couldn't know…could he?_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

It seemed like hours, but according to the clock, it had only been forty-three minutes since she'd settled down upstairs with Sophia to help her with her homework. Sophia was now working away without any help at all, while Carol sat and watched her. Kirby had retreated up the stairs and was now sitting at Carol's feet, and every once in a while, she'd reach down to scratch him behind the ears to let him know he was safe and that they were safe, too. Still, she couldn't help but peek out the nearest window every few minutes to keep an eye on the tree line. No sign of any of them yet.

"Mama?" Sophia asked, snapping Carol out of her worries.

"Yeah, baby?" She felt her throat tighten as Sophia looked up at her with a guilty look on her face, much like she saw when the girl hid her vegetables or gave them to Kirby.

"When you took Kirby outside?"

"Yeah?"

"I…I turned on the TV. I know I wasn't s'posed to, but…" Carol sucked in a sharp breath. "I saw your picture on the news."

"Oh," Carol said quietly. "And…what did you hear?"

"Lots of bad things about dad. And they were talking about you. They said dad isn't my dad. They said you were a…pro…prostitute. What's that?" Carol took a shaking breath. "And they said you did drugs. Mom, drugs are really bad for you. You shouldn't have them."

"Honey," Carol said softly. "I don't do drugs. That's a lie. The people on the television don't have all the facts. I can promise you those drugs had nothing to do with me, ok?" Sophia nodded slowly, dropping her pencil to the table.

"They showed Dad on TV. He said I'm not his. That you don't know who my dad is."

"God," Carol breathed, running her fingers through her hair.

"He said…he said men used to pay you to do…you know, those things people do on the TV. Is that what a prost…is that what one of those does?" Sophia looked away. Carol knew the child had a lot of questions, and at nine, she knew a little bit about the birds and bees, but only enough to appease her when she'd accidentally walked in on a romantic love scene on the television one afternoon.

"I was hoping to have this talk with you ten years from now, but life doesn't always turn out the way you expect." She brushed her hand over her daughter's forehead, smoothing her hair back. "And I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, about everything if you want. I know there'll be times you want to keep secrets and have privacy, and that's ok. I just need you to know that I'm always gonna be here for you if you need me. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Sophia said with a nod, crinkling her brows.

"Good," Carol murmured. "Good. I guess we have a lot to talk about."

She took a deep breath, heart thudding in her chest as she felt the anxiety building up inside of her. The last thing she wanted was for her past to hurt Sophia, but it was sure to be inevitable. When Sophia returned to school, if she even returned to the same school, she was sure to find out all about everything that had gone on while they were gone. The last thing she wanted was for Sophia to learn from some cruel kid at school.

Sophia propped her elbows on the little table and looked at her mother when Carol's breath faltered and she choked back a whimper.

"What's wrong, Mama?" Sophia asked softly. Carol shook her head.

"I'm ok. I just…" She took a deep breath. "When we get home, you're going to hear a lot of things; a lot of things you're not going to understand, more than what you've heard on the news. I just want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world, and everything I've done, everything has been about you, for you, from the moment I found out I was going to be a mom. And it's ok if you're mad. It's ok if you don't want to talk or if you want to push me away. Because I'm going to be here, and I'm going to love you no matter what, because you're my little girl. And I know you'll make it through this. We both will, because we're strong, and nobody, _nobody_ is going to hurt us. Never again."

"I don't understand," Sophia said with big, sad eyes.

"Honey, I'm not sure I do either, but we'll figure it out together, won't we?" Sophia nodded. Carol kissed the top of her head. "Some of the things you hear will be true. Some of them won't be, and I'm your mother, and I'm supposed to tell you the truth, do you understand?" Sophia nodded slowly. "So I'm going to tell you the truth." Her lower lip trembled, and Sophia moved to give her a hug.

"It's ok, Mom. Whatever it is, I'll still love you. I promise."

Carol sat at the bottom of the stairs with her head in her hands. She felt achy all over, and her stomach was upset. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd done the right thing in telling Sophia. Her little girl was still so young and still so naïve to the world, as a child should be. But her life would never be the same. No matter where she went, who she became, she'd always be the little girl that went missing with her mother because her father was an abuser and a manipulator, and the only way they could survive was to disappear.

When the front door opened, and Daryl shut off the alarm, he immediately moved toward Carol, kneeling at the stairs.

"Hey, you ok? What's wrong?" He reached for her hand, and she let him take it but she kept her other hand against her forehead.

"I think I made a mistake," she murmured as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Hey. Talk to me." He sat down next to her on the stair step.

"What did you find?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes before squeezing his hand. Daryl shook his head.

"Not a damned thing. Just a bunch of critters."

"I don't know what came over me, Daryl. I felt like I was being watched, like…like Ed was close. I know it sounds crazy."

"Hey, you're safe here." He brought her hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. "Now talk to me." Carol sighed heavily.

"I told Sophia. And maybe I shouldn't have. I feel…I feel like a terrible mother. Like I've ruined my baby's life." She shook her head.

"You told her what? What the news is sayin'?"

"I told her the truth."

"So she knows…"

"She knows Ed's not her father, and she knows…she knows about me." She felt the tears sting her eyes. "I shouldn't have said anything. She's going to hate me, Daryl."

"Hey. Hey." He gave her hand a squeeze. "She's gonna remember this one day. She might get mad. She might understand. But she's gonna remember that you told her the truth when she asked for it, alright?" Carol nodded, but he knew she wasn't convinced. "What'd she say when you told her? 'Bout her daddy, I mean." Carol choked back something between a laugh and a sob.

"She said 'so that means he can't take me away from you if he's not my real daddy, right?'" Carol let out a heavy breath. "I messed up, Daryl."

"It's the past. It's over. You ain't gotta let it drag you down. Sophia's got her mama, and she's safe here, and she's got more'n enough love from you to last a lifetime." He brushed his thumb over her wrist. "C'mon. Come with me." Carol watched as Daryl stood and then reluctantly let him tug at her hand and pull her up.

He led her to her room and closed the door behind them. He led her to the bed and lay down with her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her softly.

"You're a good mama," he said softly. "And you're the most amazin' woman I ever met. And I want ya to know I'm gonna be here no matter what."

"You shouldn't make promises like that."

"I make promises like that, 'cause I know I'm gonna keep 'em. We're in this together." He kissed her again. Carol sighed softly against his lips and nodded when he pulled back to look into her eyes. He pulled her closer then, and she curled into him. He rested his chin atop her head, and it wasn't long before she was fast asleep, and he was in absolutely no hurry to be anywhere else in that moment.

...

Carol woke about an hour later, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes and finding Daryl reading a book in bed next to her. She smiled at him as he looked over the edge of the book.

"Did you stay here with me this whole time?"

"'Course I did. Well, I had to take a piss, so I left for about a minute, but I didn't go too far. I dozed off for a couple minutes, so I started readin' to try to keep myself awake." Carol grinned at that. "You feelin' better?"

"A little. Thank you," she murmured. "I should check on Sophia." She leaned in to give him a quick kiss before pulling herself out of bed.

The house was still, and Carol stretched and yawned as she padded down the hallway toward Sophia's room. The door was wide open, and Sophia's books were still scattered on her bed and on the little table she'd been sitting at earlier. Her shoes were missing, so Carol made her way down the hall to the bathroom. She tapped on the door.

"Sophia? Sweetie? You in there?" No answer. Carol jiggled the knob, and she opened the door to find an empty, dark bathroom. Furrowing her brows, she padded down the stairs to the kitchen, only to find it was just as empty as the rest of the house. Her heart began to race then, as she wound her way through the downstairs rooms, finding nothing in her search until she reached the foyer, finding the door open. Why hadn't the alarm gone off?

A cold sweat broke out all over her, and she began to shake.

"Sophia!" she called. "Sophia! Daryl!" Daryl was down the stairs within thirty seconds, and Carol rushed outside, looking around. "Sophia! Sophia!"

"What's wrong?"

"We didn't set the alarm. We didn't…did we?" Her mind was screening, and Daryl rushed to her side. He was wracking his brain, trying to remember if he'd pushed the button on the alarm or not, and he felt his heart drop.

"I'll find her. Just wait," he murmured. "Just wait." He took off around the house, where Rick was up on a ladder fixing one of the security cameras. Michonne was spotting him with one foot on the lower rung to keep the ladder steady. Rick nearly lost his balance when Daryl came flying around the side of the house.

"Christ, Daryl! What's wrong?"

"Sophia? You seen her?"

"No. It's been quiet."

"You been over here a while?" he asked, starting off around the house.

"Yeah," Rick called, but Daryl was already out of earshot, scrambling toward the back yard with his pulse pounding in his ears.

"Sophia!"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 _Trigger warning: This chapter depicts violence and attempted rape._

"She's out there in the woods. They're out there. Maybe…maybe he's out there. God, what if he has her, Daryl?" Carol panted as her breaths gave way to frantic gasps, and he held her close, gently rubbing her back as she clung to him. In one hand, Carol clutched Kirby's broken leash, and Daryl felt a lump of guilt in the pit of his stomach. Why hadn't he set the alarm? Why hadn't he been more careful? After everything, it was his dumbass mistake that led to this. Of course Kirby would have wanted to go out again. Of course Sophia would have taken him. And now she was gone.

"M'gonna find her," he whispered, as Rick came walking up from the house. She shuddered against his chest and choked back a sob. "Hey. Look at me." He pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. "I promise you."

"I'm coming with you," she insisted, wiping at her eyes. Daryl shook his head. "I told her so many things. She could be upset. She could be angry. I need to be there. I need to…it's my fault." Daryl shook his head, and he brushed his hands over her shoulders.

"No. She can't be too far. M'gonna go in, and…"

"Daryl," Rick murmured, nodding for Daryl to join him just a few feet away.

"What is it?" Carol asked, turning toward Rick. "What is it? You have to tell me. You…"

"Ed's car...it was just reported abandoned three miles from here."

"Oh God, no," Carol choked out, realization knocking the wind out of her. "He's got her. He's got my baby."

"We don't know that," Rick insisted, walking over and gently placing his hands on Carol's shoulders. "Don't think like that. Now Michonne's calling for backup, and we're going to surround this place. We're going to find Sophia, and she's gonna be fine. Just like Daryl said."

"Please. Please find her," Carol begged, turning her attention back to Daryl.

"It's my fault. M'sorry," he said, lowering his gaze. "I can't make up for it, but I'm gonna find her, and I'm gonna get her back to ya."

"Be careful. Please, be careful," she whispered, hugging him tightly before pressing an anxious kiss to his lips. He held her close and dipped his head to kiss her again, softly now, easing her fears just a little with a few simple touches."

"I'll be back. I promise." He let her go then, and he nodded to Rick, who handed him a holster and a gun. "Go back to the house. Lock yourself in and wait for Michonne. We'll be back soon."

Carol blinked back the tears as she watched them disappear into the woods. She turned back toward the house, wrapping her arms around herself, shivering as she felt the cold hands of fear gripping her throat, choking the hope and happiness out of her. Everything was supposed to be alright. They were supposed to start over. A new life without Ed, without pain, without the constant fear. But now, she felt as she walked back to the house, they would never escape him. As long as he was out there, they would never be free.

"Hey," Michonne called from the porch as Carol stepped up from the yard. "You need to sit? Talk a while?"

"I was supposed to keep her safe," Carol said softly, blinking back the tears. "Everything I've ever done has been for her, and now she's gone, and…"

"Hey. Hey. Come here. Sit down." Michonne reached for Carol's hand, and Carol sat down next to her. "I haven't been a mama as long as you have, but I do know that if there's one true thing that bonds as all as mothers, it's that we're not perfect. None of us. You did the right thing when you left Ed. You sacrificed your own privacy to get your daughter away from an abuser. You put her first, and you've taken good care of her."

"But now…"

"But now, you have a nine-year-old with a very excitable puppy, a little girl who should want to play outside and shouldn't be afraid to. She's here with you and Daryl, and she feels safe. Safe enough to play outside, and that's good. That's so good, because that means that she trusts you two to make sure nothing happens to her." Carol choked back a sob at that. "Honey, please don't cry. I'm not trying to make you cry. I'm trying…this isn't coming out right." Michonne gave Carol's hand a squeeze. "I'm just trying to say that you two, together, have given her something she should always have. Happiness. A sense of security. She's a normal little girl who wants to play with her puppy outside on a nice day like this. And it just so happens that you left the alarm off. It happens."

"It shouldn't happen. Not to me. Not when we're supposed to be on the alert."

"Nobody's perfect. And I know Daryl's beating the hell out of himself for it."

"It's not his fault."

"But you know he'll blame himself," Michonne said with a little nod. Carol nodded back. "It's no one's fault. If anybody should be blamed, it should be the son of a bitch that forced you to have to make the choice to live like fugitives." Michonne took a deep breath. "Hey, I'm gonna go out, flag down the other squad cars as they come." Carol nodded. "Get inside, set the alarm, and just wait. Just stay safe, alright?"

"Ok," Carol said quietly, standing to start inside, and Michonne stood, too. "You probably think you're pretty lucky to have Daryl, huh?"

"He's a good guy."

"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. He's pretty lucky to have you, too. I've seen the way you look at him, the way you worry. I don't think he's had anybody worry about him like that in his whole life." Carol blinked back the tears then, and she gave Michonne a sad smile. "Go on in. Sophia'll be home safe soon. You'll see." Michonne started off down the road, and Carol headed inside, closing the door behind her. She locked it and set the alarm, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes as she felt her pulse racing and her body trembling as she thought of every horrible thing that could possibly be happening. She took a few shaky breaths and slid down to sit against the wall by the door, silently praying that she would soon wake from this nightmare.

...

"Hey," Daryl soothed softly, gently reaching out to touch Sophia's shoulder. She was curled up, shivering against the base of the large pine tree. She was dirty, and her clothes were torn, and her dirty face was streaked with tears.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "Kirby had to go, and you and mama were sleeping."

"It's ok. You don't gotta apologize. It's ok," Daryl murmured. He moved to take off his jacket, and he slid it over Sophia's shoulders, while Rick held a wriggling Kirby in his arms. Kirby was getting big, but he was still small enough to carry.

"Is Mama mad?"

"Your mama's just worried. She wants you home."

"I'm sorry," Sophia cried again. "Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad, Soph," Daryl promised. "Hey. Look at me. Do I look mad?" She sniffled and shook her head.

"That's 'cause I'm not. Let's take you back home, ok? You sure wandered far, didn't ya?"

"Kirby saw a squirrel and ran," she said quietly. "I couldn't let him get lost in the woods. But I guess we both got lost, huh?" Daryl chuckled at that.

"Looks that way, but I know the way home. And so does Rick. Right, Rick?"

"That's right," Rick said with a little smile. "I know your mama's awful worried about you, so let's get you back there, ok?" Sophia nodded, and Daryl pulled her in close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, before he let go, stood up and took her hand. She looked up at him and brushed her tears away with her free hand, and then they started on home.

...

She'd made herself busy, starting supper, washing clothes, cleaning up, anything to keep her mind off of the minutes that ticked by without Sophia being there. She kept looking over her shoulder, feeling like someone was watching, like someone was there, but she knew the house was safe, and she knew she was fine, but still, the idea of Ed's car being so close had her mind reeling. Her body ached. It was as if she was feeling every bruise he'd ever given her.

Storm clouds were rolling in fast, and it looked like it was probably going to pass right over. Three squad cars had come and gone, finding no sign of Ed anywhere. Michonne was still outside keeping watch, but she had her hand on her walkie, ready to call for help at a moment's notice.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Carol turned on a few lights, making the house feel a little less lonely and empty. She decided to go upstairs and get some fresh clothes laid out for Sophia, because in her heart, she knew Daryl would bring her back. She had to believe that, because thinking about the alternative was too heartbreaking. She just couldn't think about it. It was too much.

As she approached the stairs, she took a deep breath, and she could have sworn she smelled the cologne he wore. Just a whiff of it, just a hint of it in the air. But then it was gone. She shook her head, silently willing herself to stop worrying, to stop thinking the worst. She stood on the first step for a moment, gathering the strength to start upstairs, and just as she was she was stepping up, she heard the floorboards creak behind her. She could feel him, feel his unbearable presence. She gripped the banister, and she closed her eyes.

"You're not here," she whispered. "You're not here."

"Honey, I'm here just as much as you are. Lucky for me, your boyfriend forgot to set the alarm." Carol began to shake, feeling her knees grow weak beneath her. _Don't do this. He's not real. He's just in your head_. "You know, you really should teach our girl not to go outside by herself. Lucky for me, Kirby needed outside. Lucky for me, the little shit got loose, and Sophia had to run off after him. Lucky for me, you're the same stupid whore I picked up off the streets, don't care about nobody but yourself." Carol turned then, coming face to face with Ed Peletier. His eyes were dark, almost lifeless, and she took a step backward up the stairs. "Didn't you miss me, honey? I sure did miss you." Carol opened her mouth to scream, but he clapped his hand over her mouth, forcing her down against the steps. She cried out in pain as the dull edge of the step dug into her shoulder blades. "Don't you fucking scream, you stupid whore. You scream, I'll slit your throat, you hear me?"

"Ed," she gasped from under his hand. "Stop. Stop."

"If you're a good girl and promise not to scream, I'll let go, and you're gonna come with me upstairs, you got that?" She shook her head until she felt the cold stink of a blade against her throat. "I think somebody's forgotten her place. Forgotten where she came from, what I pulled her out of. You ungrateful little whore. I'll teach you. I'll teach you."

"You won't get away with this," she hissed out, as he pulled his hand away. "You can do what you want to me. You've already broken me. But _he_ put me back together. I put _myself_ back together. Sophia hates you." A cold smile then. "You'll never see her again." In her eyes, there was a determination, a fire that he'd never quite seen before, and he moved his hand from her face, keeping the knife steady at her throat.

"Get up," he growled, moving back so she could get up from under him. "Turn off the alarm, and come out the back with me, or I swear to God, I'll paint the walls with his blood when he comes to save you."

A wave of nausea hit her as she thought of Ed getting anywhere near Daryl or Sophia. She kept her eyes on him as she started back down the steps. Michonne was so close. She could scream. But she knew Ed could be quick when he wanted to be. Michonne was a cop, but Ed knew what he wanted, and he wasn't about to let a woman get in his way. She just knew him. She'd known him for far too long and knew exactly what he was capable of.

"Ok," she said quietly. Ed put the knife in his pocket and watched as she quickly disarmed the system.

"You know," Ed sneered, as he grabbed her by the arm, squeezing hard. He led her down the hall and toward the kitchen. "I bet it didn't take him long to convince you to fuck him, huh? Bet you opened your legs awful fast, didn't you? Did you make him pay like you made me pay? You gonna let him save you? You know what I did to that whore friend of yours, don't you?" He pushed Carol up against the wall and put his hand against her throat. She sucked in a sharp breath as he got in her face. "You know I was fucking her long before I was fucking you? Paid her twice as much as I ever thought about paying you. Should have married her instead. At least I would've gotten a woman who knew how to please a man. Baby, you were just as worthless then as you were now."

"Stop, Ed," she choked out. "Stop it." She knew what he was doing, what he was trying to do, and she wasn't going to let him hurt her again.

"You don't tell me to stop! You're still my fucking wife, and I'll cut your boyfriend's prick off before I let him ever touch you again." He squeezed her throat then, slamming her head back against the wall so hard she felt like the room was spinning. "You need a reminder, honey? You need to remember where you came from? Where we started?" He pushed her to the floor, hand on his belt buckle, and Carol felt the hard sole of his boot pressing into her back, and she cried out when she heard her back pop.

"Stop!" she whimpered hoarsely.

"Don't you ever fucking tell me to stop!" he growled, falling over, her, putting his hand around her neck again. "You talk back to me again, I'll snap your neck. You hear me?" She cried out then, hot tears streaming down her cheeks as he started to rip at her clothes. "You gonna make me pay for it, whore?" She could feel him pressing against her. He was hard, and she could taste the bile in her throat. He clawed at her hips, tugging her pants down her hips, and she couldn't hold on. She threw up then, and she felt his hand jerk her head up sharply. "Disgusting. Pathetic. Whore." He shoved her face down against the hardwood floor, and she screamed as she heard the metal teeth of his zipper come apart.

"No!" she screamed. "Stop!" She started to squirm then. She wasn't letting him do this. She wasn't letting him use her, break her, hurt her again. She wasn't that woman anymore, but she knew, somewhere deep inside, that woman was cowering in fear, ready to submit out of fear he'd really kill her. But there was strength there now, an unyielding desire to live and to be free, and she wasn't going to let him hurt her again. "Stop!"

"You don't tell me what—" he started, before she brought her elbow back and hit him hard in the groin. He groaned in pain, but he kept his hand on her back, holding her down. She heard pounding on the front door, pounding in her heart, and everything was growing dark as she struggled for breath. But then she heard the sing of his knife blade cutting through the air, and she felt the cold steel against her throat again. "I'll do it. Just give me a reason."

"Do it," she growled. "Just get it over with, you fucking coward." In his anger, Ed drew back, and the knife fell from his hand. As soon as it hit the floor, she grabbed for it, flipped onto her back and stuck the blade deep in his belly. Ed groaned then, slumping over her, and she sobbed as she felt the warm rush of blood flowing over her as his weight pinned her to the floor. She slammed her head back sharply against the floor and began to scream.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"It needs a lot of work, but I love it," Carol said with a pleased smile as she leaned over the banister at the top of the stairs. "What made you pick this place? Just curious."

"I was drivin' Soph to her soccer game, and she said 'Dad, look at that one!'"

"So she called you 'Dad,' and your heart melted, that's it?" Carol asked. She saw the blush in his cheeks. "I love you for that, you know?" She turned and wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck, kissing him softly as he gave her a gentle hug.

"Well, we got outta the truck, and Kirby jumps out of the back and starts rollin' around. And she says 'Dad, look, it's got three stories! We should live here.'"

"She called you 'Dad' again?" Carol giggled. "So you were sold, huh?"

"Well, I ain't completely sold, not 'til you are. Whaddya think? You wanna buy it?" Carol cocked her head to the side for a moment and smiled before leaning in to kiss him. "That a yes?"

"That's a big yes," she grinned. "Come on. Let's go tell Sophia." They joined hands and headed down the stairs and out the front door to find Sophia playing fetch with Kirby in the yard. He was fully grown and massive, but he was still that sweet, German Shepherd puppy at heart.

Daryl cleared his throat, and Sophia turned around, while Kirby cocked his head to the side with one ear flopped over.

"Well? Did you decide?" Sophia asked, grinning at her parents as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"What color you wanna pick out for your room?" Daryl asked, as Sophia reacted with an excited screech, rushing over to hug them both. She'd grown so much in the past year, and she was already almost as tall as her mother, and Carol often joked that her little girl would be bigger than her before too long.

"Purple. I want purple with white flowers," she insisted. She hurried over and hooked Kirby's leash to his collar. "C'mon, let's go check out the back yard!"

"Don't wander too far, Sophia," Carol called.

"I know, I know." She hurried off, and Carol shook her head, while Daryl moved behind her, sneaking his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. She sighed happily and leaned back against his chest as he gently rubbed at her stomach.

"Guess we better figure out what to paint the nursery, too, huh?"

"Shh, not so loud," she laughed.

"She's gonna figure it out sooner or later, you know?" Daryl pointed out.

"I know. But I want to keep this just for us, just a little bit longer. I'm happy, but I'm a nervous happy." Daryl chuckled and kissed the nape of her neck before he buried his face against her shoulder. After a few minutes, Carol placed her hand over his on her stomach and sighed. "Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"I know I've said thank you about a thousand times, but you have no idea how grateful I am for everything you've done for me and for my— _our—_ daughter." She quickly corrected herself. They'd just come from downtown where they'd made it official. Daryl had adopted Sophia as his own, and Carol had never seen her daughter as happy as she was in the moment that the adoption was finalized and they left the courthouse as a family of three.

"You don't gotta thank me for that," he insisted, as she turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Meetin' you and makin' this family with you is the best thing I ever did." He kissed her softly, and Carol leaned her head forward, curling her fingers into the edge of his shirt.

The past year, they'd been through more than their share of ups and downs. The media had had a field day with the break in and Ed dying by Carol's hand. It was an open and shut case. Self-defense, obviously, but there were still whispers, still stares anytime they went out in public. Carol had decided to move a few counties away, get out of Atlanta and start Sophia at a brand new school. Of course, people were aware, and if they weren't at first, they figured it out pretty quickly.

There were the stares from people at the grocery store, the 'have we met before' questions from the cashier at the checkout. They knew the face but couldn't place it, and when the look of recognition would hit their eyes, Carol would politely pay and leave without another word.

Switching schools had been difficult for Sophia, and things weren't perfect. There were the mean kids who knew too much for children their age, and there were bad days when Sophia would come home in tears and not want to talk about things. But Carol tried to keep a direct line of communication open with her daughter, promising her that she was there to talk to her about whatever she needed to. Many times, especially the times when Sophia would be too quiet and would refuse supper, she knew that it was because the kids had teased her about her mother's past.

Carol hated that there was nothing they could do, save for moving to some remote town in the middle of nowhere and hope that all memory would be forgotten. She'd thought of changing their names completely, pretending to be someone else. But that would just be a lie, and she was tired of pretending to be something that she wasn't.

But there were more good days than bad now, and since she and Daryl had married in the late Spring, the bad days were few and far between. The whole of Ed's estate had been left for Sophia, and there was a trust set up for her college education. A team of amazing lawyers had also set up counseling sessions that she attended twice a week to help her deal with the trauma of what had happened. Things were getting better every day.

Sophia came running back around the house with Kirby. She was grinning from ear to ear.

"What's that look for?" Carol asked with a suspicious nose crinkle.

"That's a big back yard."

"Uh-huh," Carol said with a knowing nod.

"We could put in a pool. Or get a trampoline! Oh, a tree house! Dad, can you build me a tree house?"

"Slow down, Soph. Money don't grow on trees."

"But..technically…"

"Alright, smarty pants," Carol teased, wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "You hungry?" Sophia nodded. "You pick the place then."

"Irma's," the girl said with a grin. Since the whole ordeal, Dale and Irma had become a constant in their lives, as had Andrea and her little boy Jamie. Even Shane was around once in a while, and Carol had the sneaking suspicion that they were trying to give things another go.

"Alright," Carol said with a nod. "Irma's it is." She linked her hand with Daryl's, and he gave it a squeeze.

But neither of them moved. He felt her hesitate, and he looked at her, watching as she closed her eyes and smiled.

"Whatcha doin''?"

"Nothing," she said with a little smile. "I was just thinking how lucky we are." Daryl reached over, placing his free hand on her stomach.

"I know what ya mean," he murmured. "C'mon. Let's go." She smiled up at him, and they walked hand and hand, together, knowing this was just the beginning of something better than either of them had ever thought they deserved.

The End


End file.
